English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News &
Editorials
For October 14/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
You fool! This very night your life is being
demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 12/16-21:
"Then he told them a parable: ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And
he thought to himself, "What should I do, for I have no place to store my
crops?" Then he said, "I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build
larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to
my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink,
be merry." But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life is being
demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?"So it is
with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God..
Titles For The English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related
News & Editorials published on October 13-14/2026
The Martyrs of October 13, 1990: Michel Aoun’s Betrayal of Them and of
Lebanon, and His Descent into the Illusions of Power and Money/Elias Bejjani/October
13/2026
A Prayer to Saint Charbel for the Healing of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV/Elias
Bejjani/October 13/2026
Thanksgiving Day: Obligations, Prayers & Gratitude/Elias Bejjani/October 12,
2026
EU Establishes New Lebanon Support Mission
Lebanese Army Seizes More Explosives as PM Vows Firm Response
Video link and full transcript of an interview with military expert Ret. Brig.
Gen. Fadi Daoud
Video link and transcript of an interview with Dr. Charles Chartouni
Bigot: Hezbollah Rejects Peace; Our Commitment to the Tripartite Framework on
Lebanon Is Clear
US State Department: Hezbollah Is the Major Obstacle to Peace in Lebanon
Washington: Hezbollah’s weapons bring only destruction to Lebanon... and a call
for disarmament
Explosives Shipment Case: Latest Investigation Updates and the Link to a
Detainee’s Wife
Ambassador Nada Mouawad Referred for Investigation
Hajjar says Dahr al-Baydar car raised suspicion due to its heavy load
Salam discusses south security and explosives file with army chief
Lebanon-Israel military meeting to be held Oct. 20 and 22
Aoun says framework deal is not ideal but saved Lebanon from further aggression
Aoun condemns Houthi attacks on KSA in call with Saudi crown prince
Hezbollah announces aid for displaced in Lebanon, despite pressures
Qatari PM expected Thursday in Beirut for meetings with top leaders
Israeli army strikes Wadi Slouqi, Kfartebnit and Wadi al-Hujair
Media rights group urges pressure on Israel over deadly 2023 strike on Lebanon
reporters
Hezbollah MP says self-defense 'natural right' after explosives bust
Student killed, 24 people hurt by suspected leftover Hezbollah cluster bomb in
north Israel
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on October 13-14/2026
Iran Reportedly Fortifies Nuclear Sites, Rallies its People for Return to
Combat
Trump Says He Does Not Believe China and Russia are Helping Iran 'at All'
British Airbase Plot ‘Almost Certainly Directed’ by Iran Guards, Says UK PM
Macron: French Navy Boards 'Shadow Fleet' Ship in Indian Ocean
Trump Attacks Immigrants from Somalia and Haiti While Rallying in Ohio for
Republican Candidates
Saudi-led coalition hits Sanaa oil site after evacuation warning, Houthis warn
Saudi Aramco
Australia Will Do 'Anything We Can' to Stop US Execution Being Shown Online,
Says PM
Syria Establishes ‘Capital Security Service’ to Bolster Damascus Security
Media Rights Group Urges Pressure on Israel over Deadly 2023 Strike
Baghdad Accuses Tehran, Washington of ‘Strangling’ the Iraqi Economy
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on October 13-14/2026
The Trump-Netanyahu Partnership: The
Middle East Gains That Must Not Be Squandered/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone
Institute/October 13/2026
France, West, Under Fire: 'Their Goal is to Dismantle Us'/Guy Millière/Gatestone
website/October 13, 2026
Yemenis Are the Houthis' Biggest Victims/Yousef Al-Dayni/Asharq Al-Awsat/October
13/2026
Iraq and Saudi Arabia: Towards a Stable Regional Order/Ali Falih Al-Zaidi/Prime
Minister of Iraq/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 13/2026
The Landscape is Changing!/Mohammed Al-Rumaihi/An-Nahar/October 13, 2026
The Muslim Brotherhood in Europe: Six Decades Before the Masks Fell!/Dr.
Mohammed Al-Wuhaib/Al-Qabas/October 13, 2026
Russian Mediation: Renewed Discussion/Dr. Ahmed Youssef Ahmed/Al-Ittihad/October
13, 2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets on October 13/2026
Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on October 13-14/2026
The Martyrs of October 13, 1990: Michel Aoun’s Betrayal of
Them and of Lebanon, and His Descent into the Illusions of Power and Money
Elias Bejjani/October 13/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/112651/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71ovkF-d5XA
The martyrs blessed us with their sacrifice and freely and
joyfully gave us their lives because they believed in the words of the Lord
Jesus Christ: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life
for his friends” (John 15:13). Surely, the heroic martyrs of October 13, from
their graves, are crying out in thunderous voices: “Not a single leader has ever
passed by our graves without each one of us shouting in his face: ‘Where is my
blood, you man? Where is the justice for which I died?’”
The height of hypocrisy is for some people to commemorate the martyrs of October
13 and raise their banners while, today, they are allied with those who killed
them, slaughtered them, and desecrated their bodies. This is self-deception,
political depravity, deadly narcissism, and a desecration of the sanctity of
martyrdom. Today, with sorrow and grief, we remember the righteous martyrs who
fell on October 13, 1990, along with all the heroic martyrs of the Land of the
Cedars, who watered Lebanon’s soil with their pure blood.
We remember the civilians and military personnel who were martyred with courage
and bravery as they confronted the invading and occupying Syrian Baathist army,
accompanied by its columns of Trojan collaborators and local mercenaries. They
fought in defense of the Land of the Cedars, its mission, history, humanity, and
independence. Today, we also remember, with bitterness and anguish, the hundreds
of our people—monks, military personnel, and civilians—who were abducted by the
Syrian occupation army and its mercenaries and transferred to the Nazi-like
detention centers of the Assad regime. Their fate remains unknown to this day.
We recall their heroism and imagine them today, in our hearts and minds, turning
restlessly in their graves in anger and sorrow over what has become of their
beloved homeland, whose soil they watered with their blood and for which they
sacrificed their lives.
The martyrs of October 13, and all the martyrs of the Land of the Cedars who
preceded and followed them, must surely be cursing, from their resting places as
they await the Resurrection, every ruler, politician, party official, power
broker, and citizen who has forgotten their sacrifices and failed to honor their
blood. These modern-day Judases trade in the blood of the martyrs to serve their
own agendas of power rather than the interests of the homeland and its people.
These Judases among the rulers and the merchants of political parties have
trampled over the blood of the martyrs, sold out dignity and independence,
bartered sovereignty for political seats, and surrendered to the fait accompli
in humiliation and submission. They have learned to coexist with the Iranian
occupation, its weapons, and its state within a state, their consciences
anesthetized after losing their national and spiritual compass. They have sunk
into the mire of tribal instincts and collaboration, following the broad roads
against which the Holy Gospel warned us.
Yet, thanks to the sacrifices of these righteous martyrs, including those who
fell on October 13, 1990, and despite all the hardships and suffering, as well
as the reality of the Iranian occupation and the terrorism imposed upon our
homeland, we continue to enjoy complete freedom within ourselves, in our
consciences, and in our faith. Our dignity remains intact, and our heads remain
held high.
The martyrs are the grain of wheat that fell into the earth and died to bear
much fruit. They are the leaven that continually renews the determination,
pride, conscience, and spirit of Lebanon’s free people, enabling them to
continue, with faith, courage, piety, and dedication, along the path of
martyrdom, Calvary, crucifixion, and Resurrection.
Lebanon, the Land of the Cedars, is the land of holiness, redemption, and
mission; the den of the free and the martyrs, and a refuge for every oppressed
and weary soul. This is what Lebanon has always been, and this is what it shall
remain until the last day and the Resurrection.
It is the duty of every believing and freedom-loving Lebanese citizen to bear
witness to the truth without fear or hesitation and to raise high the banners of
faith, brotherhood, freedom, love, generosity, and tolerance.
Saint Paul the Apostle says in his Letter to the Romans (8:31–32):
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against
us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall
he not with him also freely give us all things?”
In conclusion, yes, God is with us, and Lebanon is in His heart. He stands with
every free and sovereign-minded Lebanese citizen confronting the Iranian
occupation, its Trojan collaborators, and its local instruments.
Therefore, no matter how varied their colors and weapons may be, the wicked, the
demonic factions, the terrorists, the fundamentalists, and the isolationists
will never succeed in breaking our spirit, imposing their diabolical will upon
us, or forcing us to accept their rigid and intolerant way of life.
Thank you to every martyr who took up the arms of love and offered his life as a
sacrifice upon the altar of the Land of the Cedars so that Lebanon might remain
free, sovereign, and independent.
Thank you to the families of these great martyrs, distinguished by their faith
and patriotism, for bringing such righteous heroes into the world. And thank you
to Lebanon’s sacred soil, which gave birth to martyrs and embraced their pure
remains.
Note: This article and its accompanying video are from the 2025 archive.
*The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website: https://eliasbejjaninews.com
A Prayer to Saint Charbel for the Healing of His
Holiness Pope Leo XIV
Elias Bejjani/October 13/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/158257/
O Saint Charbel, holy monk, man of prayer, penance and holiness,
O Saint whose tomb faithful hearts seek for the grace of healing and hope, we
humbly beseech you.
O beloved Saint of Lebanon, before whose statue His Holiness Pope Leo XIV knelt
in Lebanon, we ask you to intercede before our Lord Jesus Christ, the Divine
Healer of our souls and bodies, for our Holy Father.
We lift up His Holiness Pope Leo XIV into the Lord’s loving hands as he
undergoes surgery. O Saint Charbel, intercede for our beloved Pope. Ask the Lord
for him the grace of a successful operation, complete healing, and the
restoration of his health and strength, so that he may continue his sacred
mission of serving the Church and the faithful. Heavenly Father, surround him
with Your divine protection, send Your holy angels to watch over him, and bless
the hands of the surgeons, doctors, and nurses caring for him. Blessed Virgin
Mary, Mother of Mercy, place our Holy Father under your loving maternal
protection and intercede for him before your Divine Son in this hour of need.
Lord, throughout his ministry he has offered countless prayers for others,
carrying their suffering in his heart. He has prayed for the sick, the
suffering, the poor, and all those in need of Your comfort. Today, it is our
turn to lift him up in prayer. O Saint Charbel, pray for him that the Lord may
fill his heart with peace and hope, grant him a peaceful and speedy recovery,
and restore him to good health with renewed courage to continue proclaiming Your
message of love and peace.Holy Father, you have prayed for us countless times.
Today, we pray for you. You are in our hearts and in our prayers. We ask this in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website:
https://eliasbejjaninews.com
Thanksgiving Day: Obligations,
Prayers & Gratitude
Elias Bejjani/October 12, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/67920/
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ
Jesus.”(1 Thessalonians 5:18)
Every year, on the second Monday of October, Canada celebrates Thanksgiving Day
— a blessed and joyful occasion deeply rooted in faith, gratitude, and humility.
It is a day when families and friends gather to thank Almighty God for the
countless blessings He has poured upon them — the gift of life, the fruits of
the earth, and the comfort of home and community.
Thanksgiving in Canada dates back hundreds of years, when early settlers and
Indigenous peoples celebrated the harvest season by offering gratitude to the
Creator for the abundance of food and the safety of their communities. Through
time, this practice became a national celebration of thankfulness, generosity,
and hope.
Let us never forget that we have a holy obligation to continuously and joyfully
thank Almighty God for His love, His mercy, and His everlasting grace. Gratitude
is not a passing emotion; it is a spiritual discipline that purifies the soul
and draws us closer to God. A thankful heart is a humble heart, one that
recognizes every blessing as a divine gift, not a personal achievement.
On this day, while we celebrate with family and friends, let us look around and
remember the millions of people across the world who live in deprivation and
hardship — those who are hungry, displaced, persecuted, or alone. To truly
appreciate what we have, we must first recognize how many are without.
Let us therefore pray with sincerity and reverence, thanking God for His
generosity, and let us combine faith with good deeds, prayer with compassion,
and gratitude with action. A true believer’s weapons against adversity are
faith, honesty, righteousness, prayer, and trust in the Lord.
Let us pray for ongoing peace and prosperity in our beloved Canada — the land
that welcomed us with open arms and provided us a home when we most needed it.
Let us also pray for peace, freedom, and justice in our original homeland,
Lebanon — the Land of the Holy Cedars — and for its persecuted and impoverished
people who continue to suffer and hope.
Let us pray for the souls of Lebanon’s martyrs who sacrificed their lives
defending their country’s dignity and independence. May their memory remain
eternal.
Let us pray that Jesus Christ may bless Lebanon with faithful clergy and brave,
righteous political leaders who fear God and act in accordance with His will.
Let us pray that all families may reunite in love, heal their wounds, and honor
their parents with respect and gratitude.
As we lift our prayers today, let us trust that Almighty God always listens and
responds — not always as we expect, but always in ways that fulfill His divine
purpose.
May this Thanksgiving renew in each of us a spirit of humility, compassion, and
generosity.
For when we thank God with sincere hearts, His blessings are renewed,
multiplied, and everlasting.
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be
lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to
their parents, ungrateful, unholy.”(2 Timothy 3:1-2)
Those who live without gratitude fall into spiritual darkness, but those who
give thanks live in light. Gratitude keeps our hearts alive, our faith strong,
and our lives filled with peace.
Happy Thanksgiving Day to all!
May the Lord bless Canada and Lebanon, and may He fill every heart with
thankfulness, peace, and love.
Selected Biblical Verses on Gratitude
“As long as you live and have breath, give thanks to the Lord and praise His
mercy.” (Sirach 17:27)
“We give God great thanks for saving us from great dangers.” (2 Maccabees 1:11)
“If you and your children are well and everything you wish is as you desire, I
give great thanks to God; my hope is in Heaven.” (2 Maccabees 9:20)
“Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the
Lord.” (Psalm 118:19)
“Before the angels I will sing your praise; I will bow down toward your holy
temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your
faithfulness.” (Psalm 138:1–2)
“Be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)
“We thank God without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
“I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with a pure conscience.” (2
Timothy 1:3)
“Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:20)
“Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance
of His holy people in the kingdom of light.” (Colossians 1:12)
“Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:17)
“I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being
reported all over the world.” (Romans 1:8)
“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1
Corinthians 15:57)
“Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifests
through us the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place.” (2 Corinthians
2:14)
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for
you.” (Colossians 1:3)
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (Colossians 4:2)
“We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.”
(1 Thessalonians 1:2)
“I thank my God every time I remember you.” (Philippians 1:3)
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ
Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so,
because your faith is growing more and more.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3)
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered me
trustworthy, appointing me to His service.” (1 Timothy 1:12)
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and
thanksgiving be made for all people — for kings and all those in authority, that
we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy
2:1–2)
“Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be
to our God forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 7:12)
“We give thanks to You, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, because You have
taken Your great power and have begun to reign.” (Revelation 11:17)
This Is What Many Canadians Do On Thanksgiving Day?
Many people have a day off work on the second Monday of October. They often use
the three-day Thanksgiving weekend to visit family or friends who live far away,
or to receive them in their own homes. Many people also prepare a special meal
to eat at some point during the long weekend. Traditionally, this included roast
turkey and seasonal produce, such as pumpkin, corn ears and pecan nuts. Now, the
meal may consist of other foods, particularly if the family is of non-European
descent.
The Thanksgiving weekend is also a popular time to take a short autumn vacation.
This may be the last chance in a while for some people to use cottages or
holiday homes before winter sets in. Other popular activities include outdoor
breaks to admire the spectacular colors of the Canadian autumn, hiking, and
fishing. Fans of the teams in the Canadian Football League may spend part of the
weekend watching the Thanksgiving Day Classic matches.
Background
The native peoples held ceremonies and festivals to celebrate the completion and
bounty of the harvest long before European explorers and settlers arrived in
what is now Canada. Early European thanksgivings were held to give thanks for
some special fortune. An early example is the ceremony the explorer Martin
Frobisher held in 1578 after he had survived the long journey in his quest to
find a northern passage from Europe to Asia. Many thanksgivings were held
following noteworthy events during the 18th century. Refugees fleeing the civil
war in the United States brought the custom of an annual thanksgiving festival
to Canada. From 1879, Thanksgiving Day was held every year but the date varied
and there was a special theme each year. The theme was the “Blessings of an
abundant harvest” for many years. However, Queen Victoria’s golden and diamond
jubilees and King Edward VII’s coronation formed the theme in later years.
From the end of the First World War until 1930, both Armistice Day and
Thanksgiving Day were celebrated on the Monday closest to November 11, the
anniversary of the official end of hostilities in World War I. In 1931,
Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day and Thanksgiving Day was moved to a
Monday in October. Since 1957, Thanksgiving Day has always been held on the
second Monday in October.
EU Establishes New Lebanon Support Mission
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 13/2026
European Union foreign ministers agreed on Monday to establish a new support
mission in Lebanon aimed at advising and training the country's military and
internal security forces. The mission "will advise and assist the Lebanese Armed
Forces and Internal Security Forces to strengthen territorial control, border
security, and internal security," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a
statement, adding that "Europe is invested in Lebanon's future".The Council
of the EU said the mission would have an initial mandate of three years and
include both a civilian and military pillar. "The military pillar will provide
advisory support and training to strengthen the capabilities of the Lebanese
Armed Forces, for border security and maritime security," it said, while the
civilian pillar would provide training for Lebanon's Internal Security Forces
in areas such as cybercrime and anti-smuggling. Kallas said last month that
more than 10 EU members were willing to contribute resources and people to the
mission. More operational planning is expected before the bloc makes a decision
to launch the mission's work. An EU official said on Monday that the bloc
hoped to deploy personnel under the new mission in the coming months.
The mission stems from the EU studying ways to strengthen Lebanese forces to
help free up the Lebanese army to focus on disarming the Hezbollah group. The
mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon is set to expire at the end of 2026,
when it is expected to begin a year-long drawdown and withdrawal.
Lebanese Army Seizes More Explosives as PM Vows Firm Response
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 13/2026
Lebanon's army said it seized explosives on Monday, after Prime Minister Nawaf
Salam vowed to deal firmly with illegal weapons, days after security forces
seized a truck carrying materiel suspected of belonging to Hezbollah. The army
said soldiers in the northeastern Hermel region "seized around 200 kilograms
(around 440 pounds) of explosive material packed in bags and ready for smuggling
from Syrian territory" into Lebanon, adding that the smugglers fled back into
Syria. A judicial official told AFP that the C4 explosives were being smuggled
"on a mule through an illegal crossing in the town of Qasr". The announcement
was the third of its kind this month, and came days after a judicial official
told AFP that authorities detained two suspected members of Iran-backed
Hezbollah at a security checkpoint in Dahr al-Baidar as they headed to Beirut.
The official said they were transporting half a ton of explosives -- 250
kilograms of TNT and 250 kilograms of C4 -- when they were stopped near a road
linking Syria to the Lebanese capital. Salam on X confirmed that "it has become
known that a few days ago a truck was stopped" in Dahr al-Baidar "carrying
hundreds of kilograms of explosive materials" including C4.
"We will not be lenient in following up and expanding the investigation in order
to identify all those involved in this criminal operation, and those behind
them," he said. "We will deal with weapons outside the legal framework will the
required firmness," he added, whether regarding their possession, transportation
or use.Salam also said that he understood "Lebanese worries" over the C4,
particularly as it "has been used in a number of political assassinations" in
Lebanon's history.
Detonators -
Earlier this month, Lebanon's army said it had seized "approximately 245 kg of
TNT, four explosive devices, eight detonators and electrical wiring for the
detonators", which were being "smuggled from Syrian territory into Lebanese
territory", adding that the smugglers fled towards Syria. Lebanon and Syria
share a 330-kilometer (205-mile) border known for being porous.Hezbollah until
recently was the most influential political and military force in Lebanon,
enjoying key support from Iran and longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad. The
group has been accused of carrying out assassinations of political figures who
opposed Damascus, particularly between 2005 and 2008. A UN-backed court in 2020
sentenced a fugitive Hezbollah member for the 2005 assassination of former
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, with the court subsequently sentencing
two more Hezbollah members in absentia. Lebanese authorities last year committed
to disarming Hezbollah, after hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah erupted
in 2023 and culminated in all-out war the following year, decimating the group's
leadership. The 2024 toppling of Assad also severed the group's key weapons
supply line from Iran, and Syria's new authorities regularly say they have
seized weapons headed for Lebanon. However, Hezbollah this year drew Lebanon
into the Middle East war with rocket fire at Israel, which responded with
airstrikes and a ground invasion. The cash-strapped Lebanese army faces enormous
challenges in carrying out its mission of disarming Hezbollah and deploying in
south Lebanon, including under an Israel-Lebanon framework reached in June this
year.
Video link and full transcript of an interview with
military expert Ret. Brig. Gen. Fadi Daoud/Military reading of latest Israeli,
Iranian and Lebanese developments, and Hezbollah's capabilities and its full
subordination to Tehran's decision and its link to recently seized explosives
and their fate / Telephone intervention by MP Waddah Sadek on Dahr al-Baidar
explosives
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/158269/
Interview conducted by journalist Rami Nassar from MFM Lebanon channel
12 October 2026
Note: This interview was transcribed and fully reformulated with all its
wording, introduction, table of contents conclusion & translation to English by
Elias Bejjani in complete freedom.
Extensive and Comprehensive Introduction
This exceptional interview comes at a moment of extreme regional inflammation,
where three open fronts intersect: South Lebanon, the Syrian-Israeli front, and
the Gulf and Yemen extending to Iran. Retired Brigadier General Fadi Daoud reads
the scene from a purely military angle, and the gist of his reading is that the
Israeli military operation in Lebanon is not over, and that it is completely
detached from the political and electoral track inside Israel. The Israeli
military establishment, in his view, is now operating according to its own
agenda: consolidating new geographic facts on the ground, and creating a buffer
security zone by fire and surveillance, exactly as it is doing in the southern
Quneitra countryside in Syria through what is called "Line Sofa 53" - an earthen
berm 70 km long, 8 km wide and 5 km high that allows its forces to move safely
and imposes new borders. In Lebanon, Daoud believes Israel will not stop where
it is now. The first phase was control of Tell Ali al-Taher as a gateway, and
the next phase is Jabal al-Rihan and the Toumat Niha / Toumat Jezzine area to
control the entrance to the Western Bekaa and the Iqlim al-Tuffah region. The
ultimate goal: linking the heights of southern Lebanon overlooking the Bekaa
plain in the west with Mount Hermon in the east, to turn the entire plain into
an area exposed by fire and intelligence. On the regional level, Daoud asserts
that war on Iran is coming and in the very near future, based on indicators of
American military buildup - the arrival of a third aircraft carrier to the Gulf
- and a military principle "No artillery in reserve" i.e. you don't leave
artillery in reserve, if you bring a force you will use it. He sees that the
decision is not a decision of governments but a decision of the American Deep
State within the project of the New Middle East which is based on dismantling
the capabilities of states to act outside their borders. Regarding Hezbollah,
Daoud presents a qualitative shift in his reading: The party has abandoned
classic warfare with heavy rockets and Radwan forces, and returned to its
starting point: small-scale guerrilla warfare, drones, and individual operations
/ lone wolves, because a missile system needs a complete system that is no
longer available. And the decision to enter any new support war is not in its
hands, but is a purely Iranian decision, and Tehran will only move it at the
last moment. And the case of the two trucks of explosives seized in Dahr al-Baidar
and Hermel - C4 and TNT with iron balls and nails - opens a dangerous internal
file: Is it part of Hezbollah's preparations to confront Israel with FPV drones,
or is it directed inward at the Lebanese interior in the context of
assassinations and bombings? This is what MP Waddah Sadek's intervention
discussed.
Topics Covered in the Interview
1. Incident of an object exploding in a settlement in northern Israel killing 19
Is it an old rocket fallen from a previous war that exploded now, or a newly
launched rocket, or a booby-trapped object? Daoud believes each hypothesis has a
different Israeli reaction, but Israel is ready for escalation and will use the
incident as a pretext.
2. Independence of the Israeli Military Decision
The military operation in Lebanon is separate from elections, whether Netanyahu
remains or Gideon Sa'ar or Gadi Eisenkot comes. All have the same position on
Hezbollah. Israel whose wars were 30 days is now fighting for 3 years on several
fronts and its people are pushing for more.
3. The New Security Geography - Line Sofa 53
Linking what Israel does in southern Syria and southern Lebanon: imposing a new
security geographic reality by force.
4. The Next Advance Plan - Jabal al-Rihan and Toumat Niha
Tell Ali al-Taher is just an entrance. The next target is Jabal al-Rihan then
the Toumat to control the entrance to the Western Bekaa. This will be a "phase
line" where it is possible to stop.
5. The Bekaa Scenario and Who Enters It
If Israel decides to destroy Hezbollah's infrastructure in depth, there is no
escape from entering the Bekaa up to Hermel and Akkar. Daoud doubts Israel's
ability to sweep all of Lebanon alone, America will not go in on the ground, and
the Lebanese Army will not clash with Hezbollah. He points to a possible Syrian
intervention led by al-Sharaa, driven and prevented by the Turks.
6. The Coming War on Iran
Timing of the strike is linked to the Gulf, Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb. Daoud: War
is coming soon. Scenarios: American request for Israel to strike, or direct
American strike before the US midterm elections. Daoud does not believe the
election scenario, he sees Trump as already winning and that the decision is
bigger than both parties.
7. Role of Russia and Putin
Has Russia abandoned Iran? The American-Russian energy deal of 200-500 million
tons solves the energy price crisis. Putin's position is interest-based, similar
to the scenario of Bashar al-Assad's fall. Medvedev's offer to take Iranian
enriched uranium does not offer anything new.
8. Future of Hezbollah Capabilities
Shift from missile and artillery power to drones and purely human capabilities.
Heavy weapons in the Bekaa have become restricted in use.
9. Houthi and Gulf File
The Houthis target Saudi airports to isolate it internationally and Aramco
infrastructure to raise the cost and push it to negotiate. Saudi Arabia
requested American intervention and Washington refused.
10. C4 and TNT Shipments
Type of explosives: TNT solid "soap" slabs not suitable for drones, C4 putty can
be placed, tetryl booster highly sensitive cannot be placed in a drone. Is there
a security breach and infiltration of the party in institutions?
Conclusions and Findings by Brig. Gen. Fadi Daoud
Israel will not stop in South Lebanon, it will continue toward al-Rihan and
Toumat to strangle the Bekaa by fire.
*Any incursion toward the Bekaa will be very costly and will detonate clan and
village confrontations, and may open the door to Syrian intervention if Turkey
allows.
*War on Iran is inevitable and near, the difference between an American and
Israeli strike is formal, Israel is an American aircraft carrier.
*The American target bank in the Gulf has shrunk, Iran if it wants to retaliate
will be forced to strike American bases in Europe - Germany, France, Italy - or
Diego Garcia base, with 4000-4500 km missiles, or resort to suicide operations
against embassies.
*Hezbollah is preparing but in a new way: no dense missiles, but small
qualitative operations and guerrilla warfare.
*Hezbollah's decision to enter a third support war is not Lebanese, it is fully
Tehran's decision.
*Regarding the trucks, Daoud demands accurate data: each source gives a
different weight and type, one cannot build on contradictory judicial leaks. But
he acknowledges smuggling and a dangerous security breach on the eastern border
and inside.
*The Lebanese Army is implementing the political decision with excellence.
Proof: Army aid was not affected, and the reception of the President of the
Republic in Washington at the highest level despite a weak delegation, means
that international confidence still exists until further notice.
*Hezbollah's internal situation is difficult, the absence of officials from the
scene is not only fear of Israel, but an indicator of an internal problem that
may lead to its split into two or more wings.
Summary of MP Waddah Sadek's Intervention
Sadek spoke in a high-toned manner about the Dahr al-Baidar shipment (250 kg)
and Hermel (800 kg) - total 1050 kg of C4 and TNT with nails and iron balls.
His main points:
Refusal to whitewash the file: We are used to burying files of weapons shipments
and returning them to their owners as happened in Kahaleh. This is over, the
army-people-resistance formula ended with a government decision, the party has
become an illegal organization, and transporting explosives in this manner is
outside all laws.
Doubts about use: 1050 kg is not used to resist Israel, the party does not have
the ability to plant IEDs in occupied areas. Also the nature of the shipment -
iron balls and nails - suggests use against human gatherings, not against
vehicles.
Link to incitement context: For a month, media close to Hezbollah has been
promoting the possibility of Israel carrying out assassinations inside Lebanon
to destabilize the interior, in parallel with campaigns of treason accusations
against opponents and accusing them of collaboration, to the point that an MP
said "group of Israel".
The most dangerous hypothesis: These shipments and those not yet discovered may
be directed inward: bombings in gatherings, blaming other parties, or
assassinations. Especially since they move freely and were discovered by chance
at a checkpoint, which raises the question of how many shipments passed before
them to Beirut and Dahiyeh.
Institutional complicity: Over 30 years the party has infiltrated all security,
military and civilian institutions. The cameras on Dahr al-Baidar road are all
disabled or bent, and police station records prove it. Did no one notice? He
trusts the Director of Intelligence, the President, the Prime Minister and the
head of the Higher Judicial Council Claude Ghanem, but points to great pressure
from Hezbollah to cover up and recover the shipment.
Erosion of international and Arab confidence: In his meetings with American
delegations - including the Intelligence Committee in Congress - and the
statement of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio after meeting Nawaf Salam, there
is a loss of American and Arab, specifically Saudi, confidence that the state is
serious about restricting weapons. Even the Americans asked MPs: If we pressure
Israel to withdraw, can you guarantee Hezbollah will not return to digging
tunnels south of the Litani and launching rockets on Iran's orders? No answer.
What is the army doing? The army deployed in Nabatieh amid joy of residents
after they complained it had become a military zone. Why did it not deploy
before despite having numbers after 4500 soldiers withdrew from beyond the
Yellow Line? He demands intensive deployment and permanent patrols in Beirut in
sensitive areas that may contain apartments with weapons and plans, not in the
touristic downtown.
Amnesty law and Constitutional Council decision: He believes the law has errors
and needed amendments. He has not read the full decision yet, but it may affect
the release of some prisoners, he does not trust the Military Court, and does
not know if it includes the Abra battle or not, pending legal analysis.
He concluded with a call to investigate to the end and announce results,
otherwise it will be another nail in the coffin of international confidence in
Lebanon.
Video link and transcript of an interview with Dr. Charles
Chartouni/A reading in American Middle Eastern policy and the midterm
elections/Saudi Arabia’s position and the war it is facing and who protects it /
Failed Arab strategies/The comprehensive war on Iran/The explosives shipment,
collusion networks, and risks of assassinations and shuffling the cards/The
appointments crisis and collapse of state institutions from within/ Attempts to
dismantle Lebanon and the future of the Christian and national presence/Judicial
harassment in Lebanon and political messages/The inevitability of peace with
Israel/The Israeli elections and their repercussions on the Lebanese reality
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/10/158281/
Interview conducted by journalist Patricia Samaha from Transparency website on
YouTube
13 October/2026
Note/ The interview was transcribed and fully drafted with all its vocabulary,
introduction, table of contents, conclusion and English translation by Elias
Bejjani with complete freedom.
A Long and Detailed Introduction
This interview comes at a highly complex and dangerous regional moment, whose
main title is the transition of the Iranian-American confrontation from the
phase of conflict management and long negotiations to the phase of decisive
resolution. Dr. Charles Chartouni, the political writer and university professor
residing in Washington, reads the scene from a grand strategic angle and not
from a daily tactical angle. His starting point is that the Iranian regime is
not by its nature a negotiating regime, but a regime positioned within closed
and non-negotiable equations. Its declared goal for 47 years has been to export
the revolution and Wilayat al-Faqih, and all its negotiations are not to reach a
solution, but to gain time and re-establish its strategic, military and
political locks inside Iran and at the level of its arms in the region. In this
context, Chartouni sees that Tehran’s current bet is divided into two parts:
betting on the end of President Donald Trump‘s term within two years, and
betting on the American midterm elections to restrict Trump and prevent him from
disbursing funds or continuing the war through the 60-day mechanism. But he
considers this bet to be wrong, as American policy toward Iran has become a
fixed strategic choice that will not change with the shrinking or remaining
influence of Republicans in Congress. On another level, Chartouni links what is
happening in Yemen and the targeting of Saudi Arabia by the Houthis, and what is
happening in Lebanon from the seizure of C4 explosives shipments in Dahr al-Baidar
and through smuggling on mules from Syria via the Qasr area in Hermel, to the
same Iranian strategy: investing in a state of generalized regional chaos and
prolonged disintegration in the Greater Middle East. He considers that this
reality will not continue and will move towards a decisive resolution after the
American midterm elections, not through a single knockout blow as Condoleezza
Rice said, but through a prolonged war of attrition aimed at dismantling Iran
from within and reducing its influence abroad.
As for the Lebanese file, the interview reveals a very bleak reading. Chartouni
considers that the cards available to Hezbollah are no longer large, and its
only remaining bet is civil war and striking internal stability and stirring
sectarian conflicts. He accuses the current Lebanese regime, headed by Joseph
Aoun and the government of Nawaf Salam, of giving the party an opportunity to
reposition itself within the administrative, military and political equations
and to refloat itself after the crushing blows that hit its leadership, instead
of benefiting from the armistice agreement and the new strategic reality.
Reaching his most dangerous reading: that Hezbollah seeks to gradually dismantle
Lebanon to seize certain areas that allow it to relaunch, and that its coup
project uses political, economic, military and real estate levers, from the
Beirut Port explosion to the real estate expansion in Metn, Baabda, Hadath and
Furn El Chebbak, and its ultimate goal is to eliminate Christians as a
fundamental actor because it considers them the only obstacle to the Iranian
Islamic project, to be able after that to make a settlement with the Sunnis
through Turkey and Qatar.
Interview File Titles
Introduction and questions about Lebanon’s role in the Iranian-American
confrontation
*Will Lebanon be an additional arena if Trump decides to deliver a decisive blow
to Iran?
*The positioning of the Iranian regime and its non-negotiable equations
Why negotiations with Tehran fail, and how it uses time as a weapon?
*The Israeli elections and their repercussions on the Lebanese reality
Will the results of the 27 October elections change Israel’s policy toward
Lebanon in the event of Netanyahu‘s departure and the arrival of Eisenkot or a
joint coalition?
*Targeting Saudi Arabia, the role of the Houthis, and the weakness of the Arab
regional system
A reading on the targeting of Riyadh airport, and the failure of the
Turkish-Saudi-Pakistani alliance and the Mecca Agreement.
*The inevitability of a comprehensive confrontation and options to uproot
Iranian influence
From negotiations since 2015 to a comprehensive war to destroy Iranian
influence, and the expansion of threats to include digital infrastructure and
artificial intelligence in the Gulf.
*The Mecca Agreement, normalization with Israel, and shifting regional
priorities
Will Houthi attacks push Saudi Arabia to abandon its policy of resistance and
move towards normalization?
*The explosives shipment, collusion networks, and risks of assassinations and
shuffling the cards
From the Dahr al-Baidar truck to 200 grams of smuggled C4, the role of security
agencies and their collusion, and are we facing a wave of assassinations in the
manner of the assassination of Rafik Hariri and Gebran Tueni?
*The appointments crisis and collapse of state institutions from within
The farce of appointments, seizing control of state institutions, and the role
of the Ministry of Finance, the Financial Public Prosecutor and the judiciary.
*Attempts to dismantle Lebanon and the future of the Christian and national
presence
Why Hezbollah seeks to dismantle Lebanon, and the project of Shiite real estate
expansion from the southern coast of Beirut to the capital.
*Hezbollah’s financial support program and a reading of the internal Shiite mood
The “Promise and Commitment” program, the speech of Sheikh Ali Damoush and Naim
Qassem, and has Hezbollah’s influence in the Shiite environment shrunk?
*A quick word on judicial harassment and political messages
The case of the summons for an interview about an episode with Samah Hajj 3
years ago as a sword hanging over head.
Interview Summary
*In the Iranian-American file: Chartouni believes that the Iranian regime does
not want a solution, and its goal is to export the revolution. All its
negotiations aim to consolidate its locks. The American administration is coming
to decisive positions in the coming weeks after the midterm elections. A
comprehensive confrontation has become inevitable and there is no room for
coexistence with Iranian influence policy. No Russian or Chinese intervention
will prevent it. The solution will be through a long war of attrition to
dismantle Iran from within.
*In the Israeli file: The Israeli elections will not witness substantial
adjustments in strategy towards Lebanon, whether Netanyahu or Eisenkot wins.
Policy will remain on an equatorial line that has not changed since the
beginning of confrontations, with some cosmetic adjustments.
*In the Saudi-Yemeni file: What is happening in Yemen is not new, it is a
conflict arena since the Cold War. Iran invests in chaos. The Saudi scene shows
the weakness of the Arab regional system and the weakness of the rising regional
power called Saudi Arabia. The alliance with Turkey and Pakistan did not achieve
its purposes. Saudi Arabia has returned to classic equations: the visible
American umbrella and the hidden Israeli umbrella behind the scenes. The Mecca
Agreement to defend Saudi Arabia is not activated and will not be activated
because of the Saudi regime’s fear of Islamists and the Muslim Brotherhood.
*In the normalization file: There is no escape from normalization. Netanyahu
broke the policy of unity of arenas and opened the horizon to new equations of
influence. The Iraqi and Syrian regimes with Ahmed al-Sharaa understood that,
while the Lebanese regime has not entered this line. The American option has
become a vital option for Lebanon and there is no possibility for stability and
reform outside it, and it presupposes normalization with Israel. Saudi-Israeli
normalization has become a current entitlement that mortgages Saudi security.
*In the Lebanese security file: The explosives shipment that was seized on
Monday and known through foreign media on Friday reveals internal collusion. The
security agencies are ruled by Hezbollah within the agencies, not just its
agents. He names the State Security apparatus controlled directly by Major
General Mursel Suleiman and Edgar Lawandos as a facade, while the actual ruler
previously was Hassan Shaqar who is today at the head of General Security. The
appointment of Mohammad Safa as responsible for the Bekaa, who is responsible
for the Captagon trade, proves that the arms smuggling operation continues. The
army in the South and Bekaa is practically affiliated with the Iranian faction
in Lebanese army clothing.
*In the state and appointments file: He describes appointments as a farce and a
direct seizure of state institutions with collusion and cowardice. The agencies
cannot be purged because Hezbollah has swallowed the state from within gradually
with clear political collusions since the Taif Agreement in 1990, including
collusions of March 14 and all who have been in power. Parliament is ruled by a
mafia run by Nabih Berri. The Salam government did not bring anything new, but
rather ministers of the Lebanese Forces were obstructed by withholding funds
from the Minister of Energy to make him fail, and financial control through
Finance Minister Yassin Jaber is a basic entry point for Shiite control.
*In the assassinations and shuffling cards file: Assassinations cannot be ruled
out. There are indications monitored that the Presidents of the Republic and the
Government are potential targets for Hezbollah. The seized explosives are the
same material used in the assassination of Rafik Hariri, Marwan Hamadeh and
Gebran Tueni.
*In the Christian presence file: He considers that Hezbollah has targeted the
elimination of Christians as an actor and essential variable, because they are
the only obstacle to the expansion of the Iranian project. After eliminating
them, it can make a settlement with the Sunnis through Turkey and Qatar. This is
what Naim Qassem said and appeared in contacts with the Sharaa regime and
meetings in Turkey and dealing with organizations such as the Ahbash and the
Association of Muslim Scholars since 1979.
*In the internal Shiite file: Wrong and delusional is anyone who claims that
Hezbollah’s influence in the Shiite interior has shrunk. Except for liberal
Shiites, the Shiite public still moves according to the Shiite narrative and
interests managed by Hezbollah and organized crime. The financial support
program will not tighten bonds more because they are already tight.
Conclusion
The conclusion of Dr. Chartouni is a decisive conclusion that does not accept
compromise:
At the regional level, we are facing the end of the conflict management phase
and the beginning of the decisive phase. The policy of containment and
negotiation with Iran from 2015 to today has failed. The only solution is to
uproot Iranian influence policy through a comprehensive confrontation and war of
attrition, because prolonging the file means prolonging chaos to the straits and
oil prices and targeting the Gulf states and their digital infrastructure.
At the Saudi level, Riyadh must determine its real size and adapt to
Washington’s priorities and not vice versa, and change its priorities from
protecting official lies and internal stability built on ideological illusions
to protecting its national security through new strategic choices that open it
towards normalization with Israel, because the American-Israeli umbrella is the
only real protection.
At the Lebanese level, the conclusion is the bleakest: The Lebanese state does
not exist to carry out the process of destroying Hezbollah. What exists today is
the Israeli who will carry out this work because he does not want to postpone
the battle 70 more years on his northern borders. Hezbollah is not a regular
army that can be completely terminated, but Lebanon is heading towards gradual
disintegration and this is what Hezbollah itself seeks. The solution is not by
addressing topical problems – an explosives shipment here and an appointment
there – but by changing the big picture and destroying Hezbollah as a larger
goal, otherwise this reality will establish structural imbalances that will blow
up the Lebanese and regional interior.
Bigot: Hezbollah Rejects Peace; Our Commitment to the
Tripartite Framework on Lebanon Is Clear
Al-Markaziya/October 13, 2026 (AI translated from Arabic)
US State Department Spokesperson Tommy Bigot affirmed that "Hezbollah rejects
peace," stressing the necessity of disarming the group and noting that
Washington's commitment to the tripartite framework regarding Lebanon remains
clear. He added that if Hezbollah truly wished to assist displaced persons, it
would have handed over its weapons to the Lebanese state. He further stated that
Washington is holding talks with partners in the Gulf and Europe to secure
billions of dollars to support the reconstruction of southern Lebanon under the
leadership of the Lebanese government. Bigot acknowledged that the roadmap for
Lebanon entails significant challenges, stating that no one denies the task is
arduous.
US State Department: Hezbollah Is the Major Obstacle to
Peace in Lebanon
Janoubia/October 13, 2026 (AI translated from Arabic)
The US State Department spokesperson accused Hezbollah of obstructing peace and
prosperity in Lebanon, asserting that handing over its weapons to the Lebanese
state is a crucial step toward aiding displaced persons and creating conditions
for stability. He also revealed that Washington is engaged in discussions with
partners in the Gulf and Europe to provide billions of dollars for the
reconstruction of southern Lebanon. Speaking to Al-Jadeed TV, the spokesperson
dismissed reports claiming Hezbollah had received $200 million as "false,"
accusing the group of acting at Tehran's behest and pushing Lebanon toward
conflict. Washington: Regarding the reconstruction file, the spokesperson
explained that the United States is holding talks with its partners in the Gulf
and Europe to secure the necessary funding for the reconstruction of the South,
under the leadership of the Lebanese government. He noted "historic" progress in
implementing the tripartite framework—which encompasses the de-escalation
mechanism and security and humanitarian aid—pointing out that ongoing
discussions could pave the way for securing the billions of dollars required for
the reconstruction process. The spokesperson affirmed the continuation of US
measures against Hezbollah, stating that, from Washington's perspective, the
party poses an obstacle to peace and stability in Lebanon. He added that if the
party truly wished to assist displaced persons, it would have handed over its
weapons to the Lebanese state—a stance reflecting the US administration's
insistence that arms remain exclusively in the hands of official institutions.
These statements come amidst ongoing debate regarding the future of Hezbollah’s
arsenal, the conditions for reconstructing damaged areas, and the role of the
Lebanese government in managing the upcoming phase.
Washington: Hezbollah’s weapons bring only destruction to
Lebanon... and a call for disarmament
Janoubia/October 13, 2026 (AI translated from Arabic)
The US State Department commented on the Lebanese Army and Internal Security
Forces' seizure of a shipment of explosives belonging to Hezbollah, asserting
that the party's weapons have brought nothing but misery and destruction to
Lebanon, and emphasizing the necessity of proceeding with disarmament across all
Lebanese territory. A US State Department spokesperson told the "Shams" channel
that "Hezbollah’s weapons have brought nothing but misery and destruction to
Lebanon, and the group remains an obstacle to peace," while welcoming the
Lebanese government's efforts to seize explosive materials and detain those
responsible. The spokesperson added, "We urge the Lebanese government to
formulate a plan for disarmament across all Lebanese territory, as stipulated
within the framework of the Tripartite Mechanism." This US stance comes amidst
heightened attention regarding the issue of illicit weapons, following the
arrest of two Hezbollah members days ago while they were transporting
approximately 500 kilograms of explosives along the international highway
connecting eastern Lebanon to Beirut.
A Lebanese judicial source told AFP on Saturday that an Internal Security Forces
(ISF) checkpoint in the Dahr al-Baidar area had stopped the two men on Thursday
afternoon while they were traveling in a car toward Beirut. According to the
source, security forces discovered approximately 250 kilograms of TNT and 250
kilograms of the highly explosive C4 inside the vehicle. This development places
the issue of explosives at the heart of the debate regarding the role of
security agencies in controlling weapons and hazardous materials, while
Washington emphasizes the need for the Lebanese government to move beyond
security measures and formulate a comprehensive disarmament plan—one that
strengthens state authority and paves the way for lasting stability and peace.
Explosives Shipment Case: Latest Investigation Updates and
the Link to a Detainee’s Wife
Janoubia/October 13, 2026 (AI translated from Arabic)
Investigations are ongoing regarding the explosives shipment seized at Dahr Al-Baidar.
The two detainees maintain that their task was limited to transporting the
shipment via a "dead drop" method, without knowing the identity of the sender or
the party intended to receive it in the Southern Suburbs. While evidence has
revealed a call made to the phone of one detainee's wife, a copy of the
investigation report has been transferred to the Information Branch; notably,
neither detainee has legal counsel representing them thus far. In this context,
*Al-Jadeed* reported that the two men detained in connection with the seizure of
the 800-kilogram explosives shipment at Dahr Al-Baidar reiterated their
statements during questioning by Army Intelligence. According to the
information, the detainees confirmed their role was limited to transporting the
explosives as a "dead drop," without knowing the true identities of the person
who handed them the shipment—identified as "Hajj Sajid"—or the person waiting to
receive it in the Southern Suburbs—identified as "Hajj Zulfiqar." In a
significant development, investigations revealed—according to *Al-Jadeed*—that
"Hajj Zulfiqar" had called the phone of one of the detainees' wives. Separately,
MTV reported that the wife of one of the detainees holds foreign citizenship and
that her phone was used during the explosives transport operation. Reports
indicate that the two detainees insist they do not know the identities of "Sajid"—who
handed them the shipment—or "Zulfiqar," who was supposed to receive it from
them. In the course of the investigation, MTV reported that Army Intelligence
questioned the two men regarding the explosives shipment seized at the Dahr al-Baidar
checkpoint. Additionally, the Information Branch received a copy of the
investigation report concerning the shipment, which had been transported on the
back of a donkey. While the investigation continues, no lawyer has yet been
appointed to defend the detainees, according to circulating reports. MTV also
reported that no political party has inquired about the case, and the detainees
have met only with investigators so far. The identities of the individuals known
as "Sajid" and "Zulfiqar"—as well as the party intended to receive the
shipment—remain unclear, pending the outcome of the investigation.
Ambassador Nada Mouawad Referred for Investigation
Beirut Review/October 13, 2026 (AI translated from Arabic)
Following a formal complaint filed by lawyer Hassan Adel Bazzi with the Public
Prosecution of Cassation against Lebanon’s Ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamada
Mouawad—prompted by a *Beirut Review* report on September 27 regarding her
contact with the ambassador of the "enemy entity" in Washington and her
condemnation of the incident in which the latter's son was run over in the West
Bank, and noting the absence of any denial from the embassy in Washington or the
Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs—Public Prosecutor of Cassation Judge Ahmed
Rami Al-Hajj has decided to refer the complaint to the Government Commissioner
to the Military Court, Judge Claude Ghanem, for appropriate legal action.
Handling this file will serve as a serious test for Judge Ghanem, who—like
Ambassador Mouawad—is politically aligned with President of the Republic Joseph
Aoun. Beirut Review
Hajjar says Dahr al-Baydar car raised suspicion due to its
heavy load
Naharnet/October 13/2026
Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ahmad al-Hajjar on Tuesday commended the
Directorate General of the Internal Security Forces (ISF), praising "the efforts
of the officers and members at the Dahr al-Baydar checkpoint, whose vigilance,
professionalism, and dedication enabled them to intercept a vehicle containing
explosive materials and arrest two individuals on board."Chairing a meeting of
the Central Internal Security Council, Hajjar considered that "this operation
underscores the pivotal role played by the Internal Security Forces in detecting
security risks and confronting them before they turn into an actual threat to
security and stability."He stressed that "the vigilance of ISF officers and
members, alongside their field readiness, embodies the importance of proactive
security in thwarting dangers."He stated: "Despite the challenges, we -- as
security agencies, army, and judiciary -- will not rest until a high level of
security is secured."Hajjar emphasized that "the significance of what was
uncovered is no less important than completing the investigations to reveal the
full circumstances of the case," noting that "Army Intelligence and the ISF
Intelligence Branch will expand the investigation, upon the request of the
Public Prosecution, in order to uncover all details and hold accountable anyone
proven to be involved, according to the law."The Minister also reiterated "the
state's confidence in the professionalism of the officers and members of all
security and military agencies, and in their capabilities to deliver top
performance," noting that "their role is essential in protecting the security of
the Lebanese people and establishing stability."In this context, he requested
that "security agencies tighten measures at checkpoints, raise the level of
inspection, reinforce patrols and security presence, and ensure deployment in a
way that enhances the ability to fortify internal security."Hajjar noted that
"members at the Dahr Al-Baidar checkpoint had grown suspicious last Monday of a
gray Dodge Caravan due to its heavy load, which prompted a search.”“As a result
of the search, a quantity of explosive materials was found inside, leading to
the arrest of the driver and the accompanying passenger. Both were referred,
along with the seized items, to the Military Police based on instructions from
the competent judiciary," he added.Additionally, the attendees discussed the
general security situation in the country and ways to enhance preventive
measures to combat various types of crime -- particularly drug smuggling,
dealing, and use, in addition to theft.
Salam discusses south security and explosives file with army chief
Naharnet/October 13/2026
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met Tuesday at the Grand Serail with Army Commander
General Rodolphe Haykal and discussed with him the security situation in the
country, particularly in the South. Salam followed up on the deployment of the
Lebanese Army and its duties in extending state authority over all its
territory, the National News Agency said. The meeting also addressed the issue
of the recently seized explosives, with Salam praising "the efforts of the
Lebanese Armed Forces that led to the seizure of an additional quantity of
explosive materials in the al-Qasr area in Hermel." He stressed "the necessity
of continuing investigations to reveal all those involved and the entities
behind the smuggling operations, and referring them to the competent
judiciary."Salam also affirmed his full support for the Lebanese Army in
performing its duties, emphasizing "the importance of enhancing its capabilities
and enabling it to protect the borders, safeguard the security of the Lebanese
people, and extend state authority over all its territory."
Lebanon-Israel military meeting to be held Oct. 20 and 22
Naharnet/October 13/2026
The Tampa military meeting between Lebanon and Israel will take place on October
20 and 22 but there are no high expectations regarding the results, a Lebanese
source said on Tuesday. “Israel is not cooperating
with the verification mechanism, which includes the United States,” the source
told Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath channel, noting that “Israel wants a direct
operations room with the Lebanese Army to verify the pilot zones.”“Washington
understands Beirut’s concerns regarding Tel Aviv’s demands,” the source added.
Separately, the source said “entry points for Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps
personnel into Lebanon have been completely closed.”As for the issue of the
recent explosive busts in the country, the source revealed that “the explosives
are hidden in warehouses in the Bekaa region before being transported into the
Lebanese interior.” “There is cooperation between the Lebanese and Syrian sides
to curb smuggling operations,” the source added. Moreover, the source said that
the Lebanese Army will take over all UNIFIL posts outside the areas occupied by
Israel when the mandate of the U.N. force expires.
Aoun says framework deal is not ideal but saved Lebanon
from further aggression
Naharnet/October 13/2026
President Joseph Aoun said Tuesday that the framework agreement is not "ideal"
but it has saved what remains of Lebanon and limited the Israeli aggression.
"The people of the South are exhausted and only want to live in peace," he said.
"We made the decision to save what remains of Lebanon and we chose negotiations
because war will lead us nowhere." Aoun said Lebanon's goal is to achieve an
Israeli withdrawal, the return of the displaced to their villages, the release
of prisoners, and reconstruction.
Aoun condemns Houthi attacks on KSA in call with Saudi
crown prince
Naharnet/October 13/2026
President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday called Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
to inquire about the situations in the Kingdom following “the attacks that
targeted the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and other civilian
installations and facilities, the Presidency said.
Aoun renewed his condemnation of these attacks and reaffirmed “the solidarity of
Lebanon -- both leadership and people -- with the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, its leadership, and its people,” stating that "these attacks pose a
threat to the security and stability of the Kingdom as well as the security and
stability of the region."He also emphasized to Prince Mohammed "the necessity of
respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the brotherly Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia and refraining from targeting its vital and civilian facilities,"
expressing his condolences over the victims who lost their lives and wishing a
speedy recovery to the injured.
Hezbollah announces aid for displaced in Lebanon, despite pressures
Agence France Presse/October 13/2026
Hezbollah announced on Tuesday an aid program for Lebanese who lost their homes
in the war with Israel, with benefits capped at $14,000 per household, despite
U.S. and Lebanese sanctions on the militant group. The
announcement also comes despite U.S. sanctions on Iran, which backs Hezbollah
with weapons and resources, and tighter controls by the Lebanese authorities on
Hezbollah's funding and supply routes, after the group emerged weakened from two
wars with Israel since 2023. At a press conference in
Beirut's southern suburbs, the head of Hezbollah's Executive Council, Ali
Daamouch, announced aid worth $14,000 per household for residents of Beirut and
its southern suburbs, and $12,000 for other regions.The assistance will go to
displaced people whose homes have been destroyed or made uninhabitable, and to
residents of areas in the south occupied by Israel, on the condition that
beneficiaries do not have a second home, Daamouch said.Hezbollah will pay the
assistance in four instalments over the course of a year, he added, without
specifying the source of the funds or the number of beneficiaries the Shia
movement can cover.The aid announcement was the first from Hezbollah since it
drew Lebanon into a new war with Israel on March 2 in support of Iran, which the
U.S. and Israel attacked on February 28.In December 2024, after an earlier war
against Israel in support of Hamas in Gaza, it announced similar assistance
worth $77 million to the displaced, describing it as a "a gift from the Iranian
people and Hezbollah".The two wars against Israel since 2023 have destroyed or
damaged more than 290,000 homes, according to provisional figures from Lebanese
authorities, particularly in the south of the country and in Beirut's southern
suburbs, strongholds of the Shia movement.
The total cost of the two wars could exceed $27 billion, Prime Minister Nawaf
Salam said in September, citing World Bank estimates.
He said the state does not have the means to rebuild the southern regions
destroyed by the war.Violence has decreased in the south since June, following a
memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran and a framework
agreement between Lebanon and Israel, which includes the disarmament of
Hezbollah.
Qatari PM expected Thursday in Beirut for meetings with top
leaders
Naharnet/October 13/2026
Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin
Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, is expected to arrive in Beirut on Thursday,
and will begin a series of meetings with several officials on Friday, media
reports said. He is scheduled to meet with President Joseph Aoun, Parliament
Speaker Nabih Berri, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
The Qatari official will also hold a meeting at the Qatari Embassy in Beirut
with Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal and Director General of
General Security Major General Hassan Choucair, al-Anbaa newspaper said.
Israeli army strikes Wadi Slouqi, Kfartebnit and Wadi al-Hujair
Naharnet/October 13/2026
An Israeli strike targeted Tuesday Wadi Slouqi, Kfartebnit and Wadi al-Hujair,
while artillery shelled overnight Harees, Baraashit, Mayfadoun and al-Mansouri.
Later in the day, artillery shelled the Khardali-Litani road. On Monday, an
explosion involving unexploded ordnance killed a student and injured 24 others
during a school trip in northern Israel, raising fears in Lebanon of a possible
retaliation. The Israeli military, which dispatched helicopters to the scene,
said an initial review showed the blast was likely caused by an unexploded
munition from Hezbollah. The explosive, which was probably a cluster bomb from a
round of fighting three years ago, went off in the hands of a student who picked
it up, Israeli police said.
Media rights group urges pressure on Israel over deadly
2023 strike on Lebanon reporters
Agence France Presse/October 13/2026
The Committee to Protect Journalists on Tuesday urged pressure on Israel
including potential economic consequences if it does not hold responsible troops
behind a deadly 2023 strike on reporters in Lebanon. A Reuters journalist was
killed and two AFP reporters were seriously wounded when they came under fire in
southern Lebanon close to the border with Israel on October 13, 2023.
Investigations by both news agencies as well as several non-governmental groups
concluded that Israel carried out the attack. The Committee to Protect
Journalists, a New York-based group advocating freedom of the press, said that
the European Union should consider a suspension of its agreement allowing free
trade with Israel unless Israel takes responsibility. "With Israel's blatant
failure to take accountability, we call on the international community to
pressure Israeli officials to complete a probe naming the units and individuals
responsible for the deliberate attacks against journalists," said Sara Qudah,
Middle East regional director for the Committee to Protect Journalists. "The
failure to hold those responsible to account," she said, "puts other journalists
at risk by allowing impunity to persist."
"The suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement is one of the few
remaining avenues that could create a meaningful pressure to break this cycle of
impunity," she said.
The Israeli military, asked by AFP for an update on the case, said the incident
had been "referred to the General Staff Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism for a
comprehensive factual review", without further details on a timeline. "The IDF
does not target journalists. The IDF makes every effort to minimize harm to
uninvolved civilians while maintaining the security of its troops," it said.
"The IDF regrets any harm caused to journalists, respects press freedom and
their important role, and does not target journalists on the basis of their
profession."
Israeli envoy says strike a 'mistake' -
Reuters video journalist Issam Abdallah was killed in the strike, which wounded
six other journalists. They included AFP's Dylan Collins and Christina Assi,
whose leg had to be amputated after the attack. Israel's ambassador to France
earlier this year for the first time acknowledged that Israeli forces struck the
journalists and said it was "a mistake". Ambassador
Joshua Zarka, speaking on French television, said the reporters "were not
targeted because they were journalists" as "the soldiers on the ground thought
that they were terrorists".
The attack came days after Hamas attacked from the Gaza Strip in the
deadliest-ever attack against Israel. Israel since then has repeatedly pounded
Lebanon, saying it is seeking to eradicate Hezbollah, which like Hamas has
enjoyed support from Iran's clerical government.
AFP's Assi, who received CPJ's 2026 International Press Freedom Award, said it
was critical to see who in Israel was responsible. "We need to know who did this
to us," she said.
Hezbollah MP says self-defense 'natural right' after explosives bust
Agence France Presse/October 13/2026
Hezbollah MP Ibrahim al-Moussawi said that self-defense is "a natural right"
after the army and security forces seized explosives suspected of belonging to
Hezbollah, while rejecting claims that the group is planning assassinations. "If
it is true (that the explosives belong to Hezbollah), the resistance feels no
shame," he said, adding that "self-defense is a natural right for the resistance
as long as the attacks continue, Israeli forces remain on Lebanese soil, and the
government and military are unable to confront them". Prime Minister Nawaf Salam
vowed Monday to deal firmly with illegal weapons. "We will not be lenient in
following up and expanding the investigation in order to identify all those
involved in this criminal operation, and those behind them," he said. "We will
deal with weapons outside the legal framework with the required firmness," he
added, whether regarding their possession, transportation or use.
Salam also said that he understood "Lebanese worries" over the C4, particularly
as it "has been used in a number of political assassinations" in Lebanon's
history.
Detonators -
Earlier this month, Lebanon's army said it had seized "approximately 245 kg of
TNT, four explosive devices, eight detonators and electrical wiring for the
detonators", which were being "smuggled from Syrian territory into Lebanese
territory", adding that the smugglers fled towards Syria. Lebanon and Syria
share a 330-kilometre border known for being porous.
Hezbollah has been accused of carrying out assassinations of political figures
who opposed Damascus, particularly between 2005 and 2008. A U.N.-backed court in
2020 sentenced a fugitive Hezbollah member for the 2005 assassination of former
Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri, with the court subsequently sentencing two
more Hezbollah members in absentia.
Lebanese authorities last year committed to disarming Hezbollah, after
hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah erupted in 2023 and culminated in
all-out war the following year, decimating the group's leadership. The 2024
toppling of Assad also severed the group's key weapons supply line from Iran,
and Syria's new authorities regularly say they have seized weapons headed for
Lebanon.
Student killed, 24 people hurt by suspected leftover Hezbollah cluster bomb in
north Israel
Naharnet/October 13/2026
An Israeli high school student was killed and two dozen other people injured
Monday by a suspected leftover Hezbollah bomb as they hiked near the Lebanese
border, Israeli officials said.
The Israeli military, which dispatched helicopters to the scene, said an initial
review showed the explosion was likely caused by an unexploded munition from
Hezbollah.
The explosive, which was likely a cluster bomb from a round of fighting three
years ago, went off in the hands of a student who picked it up, Israeli police
said.
Police said that school authorities had received the green-light for the outdoor
excursion in the region, which Hezbollah has hit in successive rounds of
fighting as Israel pounds the Iran-backed group. "I share in the heavy grief of
the family of the boy who was killed in the explosion during the trip near the
northern border, and I wish a swift and full recovery to all the injured,"
Defense Minister Israel Katz posted on X, adding that the incident was being
investigated.
Israeli authorities said the victim was 14 or 15 years old.
The Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency services said 24 other people were wounded
in the blast, including two teenage boys who were seriously hurt with shrapnel
injuries.
MDA emergency medical technician David Radko said that upon arriving at the
scene, he saw that "casualties were scattered along the road, some holding and
trying to help their injured friends.""Everyone tried to help their friends as
much as they could. Some even applied tourniquets to their friends to stop the
bleeding," he was quoted as saying in a statement.
The MDA said the injured were transported to three medical centers in northern
Israel.
AFP footage from Ziv Hospital in the northern city of Safed showed paramedics
wheeling the injured out of ambulances and into the facility on stretcher
trolleys.
'Dangers that cannot be ignored'
The incident injured both students and staff from a religious high school as
they were on an outing, the municipality of the northern city of Maalot-Tarshiha
said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scrapped plans and was holding assessments
over the "severe incident," his office said. "The Prime Minister asked to ensure
that the injured are being evacuated as quickly as possible to hospitals and is
continuing to hold ongoing assessments," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.
The incident comes ahead of October 27 elections in which Netanyahu is facing a
tough race for a new term. The opposition is accusing him of not doing enough to
ensure Israelis' security after three years of war, despite recent quiet from
Gaza, which Israel has devastated since the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.
Gadi Eisenkot, who is the principal challenger in the elections, said he was
"praying together with all Israelis for the swift recovery of the wounded" and
wished strength to rescue teams. Yair Golan, head of the center-left Democrats
party, said three years of periodic fighting with Hezbollah had left Israel's
northern border area with "dangers that cannot be ignored." He called for "a
thorough and comprehensive inspection of the hiking areas in the north,"
including removing unexploded ordnance. Earlier this year, Hezbollah drew
Lebanon into the Middle East war with rocket fire at Israel in solidarity with
its backer Iran, which was attacked by Israel and the United States.
Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion into Lebanon, where
authorities say more than 4,300 people have been killed since March. Israel and
Lebanon agreed to a framework deal that involves the disarmament of Hezbollah, a
gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces and the deployment of the Lebanese Army to
the region. Violence in the border area has since decreased. Israel last month
carried out a massive explosion in Lebanon to destroy a tunnel complex where it
said Hezbollah kept weapons and fighters.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
October 13-14/2026 (Some of the News reports below are
translated from Arabic by AI)
Iran Reportedly Fortifies Nuclear
Sites, Rallies its People for Return to Combat
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 13/2026
Iran is fortifying its defenses as it prepares for potential American attacks
after the midterms and seeks to deter them, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Satellite images show Iran is strengthening sensitive locations, including
nuclear sites and border areas, to make them more resilient to attacks, the
newspaper said. Last month, it built passive defense measures such as makeshift
dirt mounds around its Pickaxe Mountain and Natanz nuclear sites to impede any
attempted raid by ground forces, according to Vantor satellite images analyzed
by the Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington,
D.C.-based nonprofit. Iranian officials are touting their efforts. The country’s
airports, seaports and power plants “have prepared for wartime conditions,”
installing shelters and backup supplies to continue operating in a crisis, Brig.
Gen. Gholamreza Jalali, the official in charge of the country’s contingency
plans, told reporters at the end of September. While US President Donald Trump
last week ruled out an attack before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, he has
publicly mulled hitting the Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site, and US officials have
said that the military is preparing a range of options for new strikes. Iran’s
government is also preparing Iranians for renewed war, sending paramilitary
forces to read war stories to kindergartners, advertising training in firing
shoulder-mounted antiaircraft missiles and holding rallies. Billboards in Tehran
now advertise civilian training courses in the use of shoulder-fired
antiaircraft missiles and sniper rifles.
Last month, the Revolutionary Guard boasted that it had trained its first female
commando units in guerrilla tactics, firearms use and drone piloting, according
to footage posted by the Fatehin, an elite unit of Iran’s Basij volunteer
defense forces.
Trump Says He Does Not Believe China and Russia are Helping
Iran 'at All'
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 13/2026
President Donald Trump said late on Monday he did not believe that China and
Russia were helping Iran "at all," adding that Moscow and Beijing had "too much
to lose" if they enabled Tehran. Trump said on Truth Social that he had seen
comments from his critics and opponents that China and Russia were helping
Iran. "If they are, it's at a very low level, but I don't believe they are
at all. They have too much to lose, and we would know about it, and know about
it very fast," Trump wrote. Trump said in July he trusted China and Russia not
to help Tehran in the Iran war, but warned that if they did get involved "it
would be very bad for them."The United States and Iran have been at war since
February 28 when the US and Israel attacked Iran and Tehran responded with its
own strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host US bases. US-Israeli strikes
on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon have since killed thousands and
displaced millions. Trump has previously described Chinese President Xi Jinping
and Russian President Vladimir Putin as "neutral" during the Iran war. Moscow
and Beijing maintain close ties with Tehran. Russia has said the Iran war could
lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Beijing has condemned
Washington's attacks on Tehran as a brazen violation of Iran's sovereignty. Last
month, Trump warned Xi against providing support to Iran when the Chinese leader
visited Washington, and received assurances that China would not do so, the US
ambassador to China said at the time. The warning came amid reports that China
had supplied Iran with shoulder-fired air-defense missile launchers and that
Tehran had found ways to evade sanctions on its oil sales with Chinese help. In
September, Trump brushed aside a report that Iran acquired satellite images of a
base in Jordan from Chinese entities before an attack that killed three US
troops there in July.
British Airbase Plot ‘Almost Certainly Directed’ by Iran
Guards, Says UK PM
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 13/2026
Britain's government Monday accused Iran's Revolutionary Guards of being behind
a major scare at a UK airbase used by the United States, as allies including
Washington warned Tehran against hostile acts.
Iran denied any involvement.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the British parliament that Iran's
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) "almost certainly directed" an incident at the
Royal Air Force base of Fairford in southwest England last month. The US, which
had been using the base for its war in Iran, abruptly withdrew all its B-1
bombers from the site last week after the mysterious episode on September 27.
Burnham said Britain's assessment of the incident was that it "is highly likely
to have been coordinated in Iran, almost certainly directed by Iran's
Revolutionary Guard".
"We will not tolerate these threats on our soil. We will crack down on Iran's
use of criminal networks, using our full range of powers to target them and
their funding streams," he told MPs.Iran's state news agency IRNA reported that
"the Iranian ambassador in London, Ali Moussavi, has again categorically
rejected the accusations concerning Tehran's role in the incident at the
Fairford military base" and "called on the British government to present
evidence supporting its allegations if it possesses any."Shortly after Burnham
spoke to parliament, 29 countries, including the US, Britain, Australia, Canada,
France and Germany, released a joint statement denouncing "in the strongest
terms Iran's use of violent attacks".The statement said such attacks included
"acts of lethal plotting, arson, sabotage, cyber-attacks, and other hybrid
activities against us and our partners"."Any attempt by Iran to threaten,
silence, intimidate, harass, harm, or coerce people on our territories through
proxies or any other means is unacceptable," it read. The Foreign Office
confirmed in its own statement Monday that Iran's ambassador to the UK had been
summoned for talks. "We are also announcing the designation of two Iranian
nationals for their role in facilitating or engaging in hostile activity on
behalf of the Iranian regime, with the clear intent of threatening, planning or
conducting attacks overseas," foreign minister Ed Miliband said. The foreign
ministry said the individuals included Ruhollah Bazghandi, the IRGC's head of
counterespionage operations, who is "now subject to an immediate asset freeze,
travel ban and director disqualification". Speculation has swirled about the
incident since police were called to the base after a local farmer reported a
group of men with several white vans engaged in "suspicious" activity.
'Major' incident -
Despite a major counter-terrorism probe, seven suspects arrested in the days
following, including a British-Iranian national, have all since been released on
bail. None has been charged. The incident was declared "major" by British
authorities and triggered the evacuation of a nearby village.But the source and
nature of the threat have remained shrouded in mystery. Investigators did not
find any explosives in the vans, but did recover some petrol, according to
officials.Burnham has previously said there were "strong indications that Iran
played a part" in the incident, which Tehran has rejected. Britain gave
Washington permission in March to use Fairford for "specific defensive
operations into Iran," and US bombers and other planes had been seen taking off
and landing at the base. US President Donald Trump has said Washington withdrew
its bombers because of "threats" he believed were linked to Tehran.
In the foreign ministry statement, Miliband noted that the UK had already
"designated the IRGC under our new state threats powers, and imposed major
sanctions on those responsible for Iran's malign activity".
Macron: French Navy Boards 'Shadow Fleet' Ship in Indian
Ocean
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 13/2026
The French navy boarded a vessel suspected of illegally smuggling oil in an
operation off the Indian Ocean island of Reunion, President Emmanuel Macron said
Monday. Macron vowed no let-up in the struggle against the "shadow fleet" -- a
term used for the clandestine network of ships used by Russia to circumvent
Western embargoes since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, AFP said. "This morning,
more than 450 nautical miles south of Reunion, our national Navy boarded the
tanker DF Peak," Macron posted on X along with a brief video of the operation.
Several European companies have intercepted ships carrying Russian oil in
contravention of European sanctions, as they try to target the vital revenue
source. The DF Peak flies a Benin flag and is among the 700 ships on the EU's
sanctions list. Prior to 2024, it was called Kaliningrad.
New measures permit European Union members to sell the oil or any other cargo
seized from the ships. Moscow has bristled at the moves, with Russian President
Vladimir Putin calling it "piracy and banditry". The French president's
announcement comes amidst European concern regarding the future of the war in
Ukraine, following US President Donald Trump's announcement Friday that he had
negotiated the delivery of Russian diesel to US and global markets, much to the
dismay of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who condemned the breach of US
sanctions as "shameful." For its part, the European Union has pledged to
continue strengthening its own measures against Moscow, and its foreign policy
chief, Kaja Kallas, stated on Saturday that the lifting of sanctions on Russian
diesel was helping to fuel the Kremlin's war.
Trump Attacks Immigrants from Somalia and Haiti While Rallying in Ohio for
Republican Candidates
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 13/2026
President Donald Trump on Monday tried to boost Sen. Jon Husted’s reelection
campaign by attacking two groups of Black immigrants during a rally in Ohio,
where an organization with Republican ties began promoting a socialist candidate
over Democratic nominee Sherrod Brown. Trump also gave a shoutout to Rep. Max
Miller, the Republican congressman who refused to stop running for reelection
after facing accusations of domestic abuse, pointing him out in the audience,
The Associated Press said. “Thank you, Max, for coming,” Trump said. “Thank you.
Very good.”
Trump focused, however, on a favorite issue — immigration. Trump has long
targeted Minnesota's large population of Somali immigrants and on Monday he
linked that group to Haitians in Springfield, Ohio. During a presidential debate
two years ago, Trump falsely accused the latter group of eating pets.
Referencing those allegations Monday, Trump said “I was right” and boasted that
Haitians were being driven out of the country by his administration's policies.
“If you want to stop Ohio from being plundered, ransacked and destroyed like
Minnesota is being destroyed, we’re going to stop it,” Trump said. “Just like we
did with Springfield, we’re going to stop it, we’re not going to let it happen.”
Trump's remarks came on the same day Homeland Security agents searched the
Washington home of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Somali immigrant who represents
a Minnesota district.
The president visited Youngstown less than a week after rallying in Dayton. The
intense focus on Ohio, a state Trump won by 11 percentage points, shows the
challenging environment Republicans are navigating in the midterms amid the Iran
war and lingering inflation. In addition to the Senate contest, Republican Vivek
Ramaswamy is locked in a close governor's race with Democrat Amy Acton. The
rally was also a reminder of the extent Trump is willing to go to boost his
allies — he announced a new submarine component manufacturing center will be
located in nearby Cleveland during the rally — and his persistent focus on Black
immigrants.
Back in 2018, Trump privately complained about immigrants from countries like
Haiti — using an expletive to describe them — and wondering why the United
States couldn't get more migrants from places like Norway. The statement was
condemned as racist and Trump denied making it at the time. But Trump admitted
using the phrase last year, and his second administration has focused on
restricting immigration and barring any refugees except white South Africans.
During the rally, he celebrated what he contended was an exodus of Haitians out
of Springfield. The Trump administration ended a program that allowed more than
350,000 Haitians to stay in the country legally, which some of the roughly
15,000 Haitians who arrived in Springfield, population 60,000, in recent years.
“They're getting their town back,” Trump said about the original residents of
Springfield, as he also stood by his debunked statement at the 2024 presidential
debate that the Haitians were eating local pets. That claim was based on a
secondhand Facebook post whose author deleted it and apologized, saying she had
no evidence it was true. Trump devoted even more time to insulting immigrants
from Somalia, where he claimed that people were “low IQ” and “don't have pants
to wear.”
Trump's main goal was to boost Husted, who was appointed to replace Vice
President JD Vance in the Senate in 2024 and faces a tough challenge from Brown,
a longtime senator who lost his seat to Republican Bernie Moreno in 2024.
The presidential visit came after mailers, sponsored by Enough Promises Ohio
PAC, began arriving in voters’ mailboxes in recent days. They promote
independent candidate Greg Levy over Brown with messages such as “Join the
Revolution” and “Send a Worker to the Senate.” Levy describes himself as
“Socialist running for the US Senate to represent Ohio in 2026” on his X
account. Levy condemned the fliers for falsely impersonating his campaign and
engaging in “dirty tricks” designed to mislead voters. He said he is considering
legal action.
“This is a highly undemocratic practice and does a disservice to voters in Ohio
and throughout the country,” he wrote on X. According to Federal Election
Commission filings, Enough Promises Ohio was founded Sept. 29. It has not yet
had to disclose its contributors, but additional federal filings lay out a trail
of associations linked to Republicans. Enough Promises paid the firm Seven Farms
more than $397,000 on two dates last week for printing, postage and mail
services either supporting Levy or opposing Brown. Seven Farms, also a new
entity, lists as its address the same South Carolina business suite as the one
used by Whistlestop Strategies LLC. Whistlestop is a direct mail outfit operated
by Big Dog Strategies LLC, the strategy firm that advises Trump's MAGA Inc.
super PAC and that managed Moreno's successful campaign against Brown in 2024.
Enough Promises Ohio and Big Dog did not respond to requests for comment.
Saudi-led coalition hits Sanaa oil site after evacuation
warning, Houthis warn Saudi Aramco
Naharnet/October 13/2026
Houthi-linked media Al-Masirah said Tuesday the Saudi-led coalition has carried
out airstrikes against oil facilities in west of Sanaa. It didn’t not provide
any evidence. The report came shortly after a warning
from the Saudi-led coalition spokesman calling on residents in the area to
evacuate for their safety. Witnesses in the city said they heard explosions in
Sanaa. It was not immediately clear what was hit. The
Saudi-led military coalition had earlier issued an evacuation warning for an oil
facility. "The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition
requests that civilians evacuate the site of the Yemen Petroleum Company -- the
al-Sabaha Central Station in Sanaa... for their own safety," spokesman Major
General Turki al-Maliki wrote on X, attaching a map of the location on the
city's outskirts. This prompted Yemen's Houthis to warn civilians and employees
to evacuate areas near Saudi Aramco facilities across the kingdom an at Riyadh's
airport and an oil refinery. "The Yemeni Armed Forces
warn all employees and citizens near any facility belonging to Aramco oil to
evacuate it and move away from it, as it is a legitimate target for our forces,"
military spokesman Yahya Saree posted on X.
Australia Will Do 'Anything We Can' to Stop US Execution
Being Shown Online, Says PM
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 13/2026
Australia will do whatever it can to stop the "completely abhorrent"
livestreaming of the execution of a US prisoner from being available to view in
the country, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday.Nidal Hasan's
execution -- scheduled for December 3 at Fort Hood, Texas, where he gunned down
13 people in 2009 -- is set to be the first by a US military firing squad since
1945. A Pentagon official told AFP last week the execution would be streamed
live, after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said "we'll make sure that people
are able to watch it, that it's public." Albanese told national broadcaster ABC
he had a "social responsibility" to stop it being shown. "I do not know why
anybody would want themselves to watch such an event, let alone sit back and
allow potentially kids and families to get access to this," Albanese said.
Australia's internet regulator has said it does not have the power to prevent
the execution from being shown online. Albanese said it was "not as simple as
turning off a light switch". But he said his government would make clear to
social media companies that "this has no place in our country"."If there is
anything we can do, we will do, I assure you of that."
Albanese's Environment Minister Murray Watt also said he found the plans
"absolutely disgusting".Plans for Hasan's execution to be shown online have
drawn broad revulsion both in the United States and internationally. The UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights said "the livestreaming of an execution is
tantamount to a public execution and would breach the absolute prohibition of
torture".In Australia, the issue has prompted rare consensus across the
political spectrum in opposition. Far-right lawmaker Barnaby Joyce described it
as "Roman amphitheater stuff", while Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young called
for regulators to stop the execution being shown in Australia.
Syria Establishes ‘Capital Security Service’ to Bolster
Damascus Security
Damascus: Muwafaq Mohammed/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 13/2026
Syria established a special security service apparatus for its capital,
Damascus, in a bid to bolster security, uncover sleeper cells and thwart
attempts to destabilize the city, a senior Syrian military official told Asharq
Al-Awsat Tuesday.
The official told the daily that the Capital Security Service was established
and Brig. Gen. Abdul Aziz Hilal al-Ahmad appointed as its chief to “bolster
security in Damascus through a more targeted approach and uncover any sleeper
cells seeking to undermine the capital’s security.”
The official said he did not believe Damascus faced any immediate threat, but
warned that “sabotage cells” continued to seek to undermine security in the
capital, driven by foreign agendas and ties. He also accused Israel and Iran of
seeking to destabilize Syria by backing local sabotage groups operating across
several provinces. The official stressed that Damascus
hosts foreign embassies, diplomatic missions and offices of international and
United Nations agencies and organizations, making it a key center of state
sovereignty. Any breach of the capital’s security would undermine the state’s
credibility and authority, he said, adding that the new service was intended to
thwart attempts to unsettle the city. Brig. Gen. Abdul Aziz Hilal al-Ahmad
previously headed internal security in Latakia province, where he led operations
against armed groups and former military and security figures linked to Bashar
al-Assad’s regime after taking office on May 25, 2025.
No official decree announcing al-Ahmad’s appointment has been issued, though
security and military sources confirmed it to several media outlets, including
Asharq Al-Awsat. On Saturday, the Interior Ministry named Brig. Gen. Nayef
al-Ibrahim as his successor in Latakia.
Since the ouster of the former regime, Syria’s new authorities have worked to
rebuild and modernize the security sector with regional and international
support. However, repeated security incidents in Damascus over the past two
years have underscored persistent instability and security gaps, with experts
saying much work remains to prevent further bombings.
Wael Alwan, executive director of the Jusoor Center for Studies, told Asharq Al-Awsat
that authorities were working to restore security and stability across Syria,
but intelligence reports pointed to activity in Damascus by Iran-backed
Hezbollah and affiliated local groups, as well as ISIS. He said previous attacks
by ISIS cells and remnants of the former regime appeared aimed more at
generating media attention than striking strategic security, political or
military targets, citing rocket fire toward the Mazzeh area and explosions
during the French president’s visit.
Alwan said Iran-backed groups, ISIS and Israeli interference sought to portray
Syria as unstable and its government as unable to maintain security, undermining
recovery by deterring investment, curbing tourism and deepening economic and
social pressures. He added that Iran stood to benefit from chaos, which could
create opportunities for its allied militias and former regime loyalists to
return, rebuild their networks and expand their influence.
Alwan said the establishment of the Capital Security Service reflected
the government’s cautious approach and efforts to preempt security threats by
strengthening surveillance and intelligence capabilities to track former regime
loyalists, ISIS cells and Iran-backed operatives, and thwart attacks before they
occur. For his part, Syrian political and security researcher Diaa Qaddour told
Asharq Al-Awsat that the appointment was part of a broader restructuring of
security agencies following the ouster of the former regime, reflecting a focus
on securing the capital against threats from ISIS and dormant Iran-linked cells
to reinforce state authority and prevent chaos.
Media Rights Group Urges Pressure on Israel over Deadly
2023 Strike
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 13/2026
The Committee to Protect Journalists on Tuesday urged pressure on Israel
including potential economic consequences if it does not hold responsible troops
behind a deadly 2023 strike on reporters in Lebanon. A Reuters journalist was
killed and two AFP reporters were seriously wounded when they came under fire in
southern Lebanon close to the border with Israel on October 13, 2023.
Investigations by both news agencies as well as several non-governmental groups
concluded that Israel carried out the attack. The Committee to Protect
Journalists, a New York-based group advocating freedom of the press, said that
the European Union should consider a suspension of its agreement allowing free
trade with Israel unless Israel takes responsibility. "With Israel's blatant
failure to take accountability, we call on the international community to
pressure Israeli officials to complete a probe naming the units and individuals
responsible for the deliberate attacks against journalists," said Sara Qudah,
Middle East regional director for the Committee to Protect Journalists.
"The failure to hold those responsible to account," she said, "puts other
journalists at risk by allowing impunity to persist."
"The suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement is one of the few
remaining avenues that could create a meaningful pressure to break this cycle of
impunity," she said. The Israeli military, asked by
AFP for an update on the case, said the incident had been "referred to the
General Staff Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism for a comprehensive factual
review", without further details on a timeline.It said the Israeli army “does
not target journalists .. It makes every effort to minimize harm to uninvolved
civilians while maintaining the security of its troops," it said.
- Israeli envoy says strike a 'mistake' -
Reuters video journalist Issam Abdallah was killed in the strike, which wounded
six other journalists. They included AFP's Dylan Collins and Christina Assi,
whose leg had to be amputated after the attack. Israel's ambassador to France
earlier this year for the first time acknowledged that Israeli forces struck the
journalists and said it was "a mistake". Ambassador
Joshua Zarka, speaking on French television, said the reporters "were not
targeted because they were journalists" as "the soldiers on the ground thought
that they were terrorists".
The attack came days after Hamas attacked from the Gaza Strip in the
deadliest-ever attack against Israel. Israel since then has repeatedly pounded
Lebanon, saying it is seeking to eradicate Hezbollah, which like Hamas has
enjoyed support from Iran's clerical government.
AFP's Assi, who received CPJ's 2026 International Press Freedom Award, said it
was critical to see who in Israel was responsible. "We need to know who did this
to us," she said.
Baghdad Accuses Tehran, Washington of ‘Strangling’ the
Iraqi Economy
Baghdad: Fadhel al-Nashmi/October 13/2026
Iraqi government spokesman Haider Al-Aboudi has accused both Iran and the United
States of “strangling” Iraq’s economy by failing to grant exemptions that would
allow Iraqi oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz. In a television interview,
Al-Aboudi said: “Iraq’s economy is living under the burden of a suffocating
blockade, with a complete absence of any Iranian or American response to
granting exemptions for oil exports.” Al-Aboudi also launched a sharp attack on
the government of former Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani, accusing it of
causing losses of nearly 36 trillion Iraqi dinars to the state treasury through
its 2023 decision to reduce the exchange rate from 1,470 dinars per U.S. dollar
to 1,320 dinars per dollar. His remarks come as the current government seeks to
counter criticism over its decision, announced last Tuesday, to devalue the
dinar to 1,520 per dollar. The decision to alter the exchange rate continues to
generate significant debate as the government has failed to close the gap
between the official rate of 1,520 dinars per dollar and the parallel market
rate of 1,630 dinars. This discrepancy has contributed to substantial increases
in the prices of many essential goods, including food items.
The exchange-rate issue has also sparked broad political reactions. Nouri Al-Maliki,
leader of the State of Law Coalition, called in a post on X for citizens not to
use the dollar exchange-rate adjustment as a pretext for stirring concern.
Despite measures introduced by the government to curb soaring prices, including
injecting additional dollars into the market and offering construction materials
to citizens through installment-payment schemes, prices have remained high. This
has exposed the government to further public and political criticism.
Legal Challenge
Observers do not rule out the possibility that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi could
face legal scrutiny. Saud al-Saadi, head of the parliamentary Huqooq Bloc, has
filed an official appeal before the Federal Supreme Court, challenging Cabinet
Resolution No. 544 concerning the exchange rate of the US dollar against the
Iraqi dinar. Speaking to the press on Monday, al-Saadi said that the Court had
received the appeal and informed him that an official hearing date would be
scheduled at a later time.
Denial of Pursuing Currency Speculators
In a related development, Al-Aboudi stated that the prime minister had
“categorically rejected any intervention by security agencies or the use of
police measures to regulate the market.” The denial
came in response to an audio recording in which a citizen called the Interior
Ministry’s complaints hotline and asked whether complaints or reports could be
filed against exchange companies selling dollars at the parallel-market rate of
1,650 dinars, compared with the official rate of 1,520 dinars per dollar. A
complaints official reportedly answered in the affirmative. On Sunday evening,
both the Security Media Cell and the Ministry of Defense quickly denied that the
complaints official’s response reflected government policy.
In a statement, the Security Media Cell said that directives from
Commander-in-Chief Ali al-Zaidi emphasized that the dollar exchange-rate issue
is a financial and economic matter, not a security matter. The statement
stressed that exchange rates are governed by market mechanisms and the laws of
supply and demand and fall under the jurisdiction of financial and monetary
authorities, foremost among them the Central Bank of Iraq.
The statement further underscored that there are no instructions for
security forces to intervene in market activity or influence exchange rates,
noting that their role is limited to enforcing the law and carrying out judicial
orders issued by competent authorities. It added that
any action taken against violators or individuals engaged in illegal
foreign-currency transactions would be conducted in accordance with established
legal and judicial procedures and in coordination with the Central Bank of Iraq,
which is responsible for supervising financial and banking institutions,
regulating exchange companies, monitoring compliance with relevant regulations,
and taking the necessary administrative measures to safeguard financial
transactions and support duly licensed firms. The Security Media Cell called on
citizens, merchants, exchange companies, and market participants to remain
reassured and continue conducting their lawful financial and commercial
activities normally. The complaints official’s remarks had reportedly alarmed
exchange companies, which often have to deal according to prevailing market
rates rather than the official rate. Some industry workers said the comments
actually contributed to driving exchange rates higher in the parallel market
rather than lowering them.
Personal Conduct
As a result of the confusion and concern caused by the audio recording, the
Interior Ministry issued a statement clarifying the circumstances surrounding
the phone call made by a citizen to an employee of the Central Response and
Control Directorate (911), who had been asked about dollar buying and selling
rates at exchange companies. The ministry stated that the employee’s response
constituted “a personal action” and did not represent the ministry’s official
position, as he was not authorized to provide information or statements on
matters outside the scope of his assigned duties and responsibilities. The
ministry also confirmed that it had taken the necessary legal measures against
the employee in accordance with applicable regulations and instructions,
reaffirming its commitment to professional discipline within the public service.
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on October 13-14/2026
The Trump-Netanyahu Partnership: The Middle East Gains That Must Not Be
Squandered
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/October 13/2026
The Middle East... remains far from stable. Hamas continues to resist
disarmament, Iran remains a major threat, and Hezbollah's armed presence in
Lebanon continues to undermine the authority of the Lebanese state. The future
of Gaza, including who will govern it and who will control its weapons, stands
unresolved.
Can Gaza really have a new beginning while the organization that launched the
October 7, 2023 massacre retains the ability to obstruct the transition and
launch more massacres -- not just of Israelis but of its own citizens and other
neighbors?
The achievements of recent months could be weakened, or even reversed, if the
remaining challenges are left unresolved.
The question is no longer simply what Washington and Jerusalem have achieved
together. It is whether they can turn those achievements into lasting security.
A ceasefire without disarmament, a transitional administration without
operational authority, and military victories without a strategy for the future
will leave the region exposed to endless instability.
The task ahead is therefore clear: turn the gains already made into a strategic
reality in which Palestinians in Gaza can live under civilian government rather
than an armed factional rule; in which Israel's security is strengthened, and in
which Iran and its Middle Eastern allies can no longer threaten its own people
or the region in any way.
The question is no longer simply what Washington and Jerusalem have achieved
together. It is whether they can turn those achievements into lasting security.
Pictured: U.S.
Over the past year and a half, the Middle East has undergone dramatic changes.
Israel, increasingly encircled for decades by an Iranian "noose of fire" on
seven fronts, inflicted severe damage on its enemies' military capabilities; the
United States finally demonstrated its willingness to use military force against
the Islamic Republic of Iran, and a US-backed agreement brought home all the
Israeli hostages still held by Hamas.
President Donald J. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu played
central roles in these developments. Their partnership combined America's
diplomatic leverage and military power with Israel's intelligence capabilities
and military operations.
The Middle East, nevertheless, remains far from stable. Hamas continues to
resist disarmament, Iran remains a major threat, and Hezbollah's armed presence
in Lebanon continues to undermine the authority of the Lebanese state. The
future of Gaza, including who will govern it and who will control its weapons,
stands unresolved.
The question is no longer simply what Washington and Jerusalem have achieved
together. It is whether they can turn those achievements into lasting security.
One of the most consequential developments was the US-backed Gaza ceasefire
agreement reached in October 2025. The agreement ended the period of large-scale
fighting and led to the return of all the remaining living Israeli hostages held
by Hamas.
For the families who endured months of uncertainty and suffering, the return of
their loved ones was an enormous achievement. It also demonstrated the potential
of American diplomatic pressure, regional mediation, and Israeli military
pressure to produce results that years of negotiations had failed to secure.
Trump's 20-point plan subsequently provided a framework for a different future
for Gaza. It envisioned an end to Hamas's rule, the disarmament of armed
factions, a transitional Palestinian administration, an International
Stabilization Force (ISF), and reconstruction.
In January 2026, the Board of Peace was formally launched, with Trump as its
chairman. Its mandate was to help oversee the transition and create the
conditions for Gaza to be governed without the political or military domination
of the terrorist group Hamas.
There has been progress in building the institutional framework. The National
Committee for the Administration of Gaza has been established, preparations have
been made to recruit and train Palestinian police, and the international
community has developed a roadmap for disarmament.
The most difficult tasks, however, remain unfinished.
A report submitted by the Board of Peace to the UN Security Council in May
acknowledged that negotiations over the implementation roadmap had not been
finalized. The proposed ISF was still preparing for deployment, while the
disarmament of Hamas and other armed terrorist factions remains a central
obstacle.
Hamas has suffered substantial military loses, but as a political and armed
force, it has not disappeared. Its continued presence raises a fundamental
question: Can Gaza really have a new beginning while the organization that
launched the October 7, 2023 massacre retains the ability to obstruct the
transition and launch more massacres -- not just of Israelis but of its own
citizens and other neighbors?
The answer will determine whether the ceasefire becomes the foundation of a
lasting settlement or merely an interval before another round of fighting.
The other historic development was the military confrontation with Iran in June
2025.
Israel, on June 13, 2025, launched Operation Rising Lion, striking Iranian
nuclear infrastructure, missile production facilities, air defenses, military
headquarters, and senior military commanders. On June 22, the United States
struck three Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
The operations demonstrated a level of US-Israeli military coordination with
massive implications for regional security. They inflicted damage on important
elements of Iran's military and nuclear infrastructure and demonstrated that
Iran's geographical distance and extensive defensive preparations could not
guarantee the protection of its most sensitive facilities.
The main challenge is still to prevent Iran from restoring the capabilities that
made it such a serious threat to Israel and other countries in the region. This
objective requires sustained intelligence cooperation, effective monitoring,
credible deterrence, and a clear response to attempts to rebuild prohibited or
threatening capabilities.
The challenge extends beyond Gaza and Iran.
Hezbollah's decision to build an extensive military infrastructure outside the
authority of the Lebanese state has contributed to decades of instability along
Israel's northern border. Hezbollah's relationship with Iran was what gave the
country the means of projecting military power beyond its own territory.
Efforts to strengthen the Lebanese state's authority and dismantle Hezbollah's
independent military capabilities -- as well as those of Iran's other terrorist
proxies, Hamas and the Houthis -- remain essential to any durable regional
settlement.
A Lebanon in which the rightful government exercises unobstructed control over
the country's armed forces and territory would be in the interests of both
Lebanese citizens and their neighbors.
The same principle applies to Gaza. Civilian institutions cannot function
effectively when an armed faction retains the power to threaten and overrule
them.
The Trump-Netanyahu partnership has also operated against the background of the
Abraham Accords, which established diplomatic relations between Israel and
several Arab states during Trump's first administration. These agreements remain
an important foundation for the possibility of broader regional cooperation.
Trump and Netanyahu have helped bring about long-sought-after changes in the
regional balance of power. Military success and diplomatic breakthroughs,
however, are not ends in themselves. Their significance ultimately depends on
what follows.
The opportunity is significant, but it is not guaranteed. The achievements of
recent months could be weakened, or even reversed, if the remaining challenges
are left unresolved.
A ceasefire without disarmament, a transitional administration without
operational authority, and military victories without a strategy for the future
will leave the region exposed to endless instability.
The task ahead is therefore clear: turn the gains already made into a strategic
reality in which Palestinians in Gaza can live under civilian government rather
than an armed factional rule; in which Israel's security is strengthened, and in
which Iran and its Middle Eastern allies can no longer threaten its own people
or the region in any way.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22915/trump-netanyahu-partnership
**Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East. His work is made
possible through the generous donation of a couple who wish to remain anonymous.
Gatestone is most grateful.
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
France, West, Under Fire: 'Their Goal is to Dismantle
Us'
Guy Millière/Gatestone website/October 13, 2026
The founder and leader of France Unbowed, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, is a Trotskyist
who, already in his youth, embraced the concept of "permanent revolution".
Mélenchon, over the years, has made no secret of his desire for a radical
transformation of France. He supports the Islamization of the country and
advocates a "great replacement" of the native French population with a new
demographic from the Muslim world that would constitute what he calls the "new
France."
With antisemitism widespread among young Muslims living in France's 751 "no-go
zones" — suburban enclaves where police no longer venture and where Muslim gangs
and radical imams hold sway — Mélenchon, like other representatives of his
party, now publicly makes antisemitic remarks.
High school students seeking better educational conditions have no reason to
wave Palestinian flags or shout "Free Palestine", "We are children of Gaza," or
write "October 7. Day of Celebration" on walls.
The rioters express support for not only the Palestinian cause but also for
Islamic terrorism.
The French government has basically appeared impotent and weak.
The only leaders who pointed out that the events were primarily an Islamist and
leftist insurrection were those from Marine Le Pen's National Rally party and a
few other right-leaning politicians. MEP Marion Maréchal stated that an
"Islamist spirit of revenge" is at work. Revenge for what? For the French
welcoming Islamists into their country and showering the immigrants with
benefits?
Meanwhile, France's riots have been spreading across Europe to Belgium, Greece,
Italy, Ireland and Austria. Behind France's riots, according to investigative
journalist Asra Nomani, are "Communists, unions and a global propaganda
network."
"From France to the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Greece and India,
adults with deep pockets are tapping France's school protests and turning a
domestic education dispute into a platform for broader political and ideological
confrontation." — Asra Nomani, Fox News, October 9, 2026.
"The communist Red and the Islamist Greens have nothing in common but a common
enemy, the Judeo-Christian, capitalist, free West, led by the U.S. Their goal is
to dismantle us." — Mike Gonzalez, senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation,
quoted by Asra Nomani, Fox News, October 9, 2026.
The founder and leader of France Unbowed, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, is a Trotskyist
who, already in his youth, embraced the concept of "permanent revolution". Over
the years he has made no secret of his desire for a radical transformation of
France. He supports the Islamization of the country and advocates a "great
replacement" of the native French population with a new demographic from the
Muslim world that would constitute what he calls the "new France."
The recent riots in France have mainly been described as a revolt of high school
students, stemming from deteriorating conditions, overcrowding and understaffing
in French high schools (lycées). That presentation is largely inaccurate.
Although students were incited by a few agitators to voice grievances, political
leaders, primarily from the political left, immediately stepped in to urge them
to go further and resort to violence.
Many students apparently did not need much urging. Alerted by social media,
labor-led activists and members of Muslim gangs from the suburbs joined their
ranks. Trash cans were set ablaze, followed by school buildings. Firefighters
arriving to extinguish the blazes were attacked and police officers assaulted.
Police vehicles and a fire truck were torched. Teachers were physically attacked
and, in at least one instance, doused with gasoline. More than 700 police
officers were injured, some seriously, as well as more than a hundred teachers
and school officials.
What happened was not an accident. The protests have been fanned by the direct
involvement of France's main left-wing party, La France Insoumise ("France
Unbowed"). Almost all the political leaders who urged the students to go further
were members of France Unbowed — a "coincidence" that should come as no
surprise.
The founder and leader of France Unbowed, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, is a Trotskyist
who, already in his youth, embraced the concept of "permanent revolution". After
belonging to the Internationalist Communist Organization (the French branch of
the Fourth International), he joined the left wing of France's Socialist Party,
a move that enabled him to become a member of parliament and from June 2001 to
May 2022, even serve as a minister in a left-wing government. He left the
Socialist Party in 2008 to rally other Trotskyists around him to form an even
more radical movement, the Left Party. In 2016, he founded France Unbowed.
Since then, he has ceaselessly urged hatred toward the police, repeatedly
declared at public rallies that police officers are murderers and used the
slogan "the police kill." He has aligned himself with groups that engage in
violence and has paved the way for Raphaël Arnault — founder of The Young Guard,
one of France's leading Antifa groups — to become a member of parliament. The
Young Guard incites violence and has physically assaulted what they consider
"right wing" individuals. Several of its members beat to death a young
conservative Catholic, Quentin Deranque, in Lyon on February 12, 2026. Two
parliamentary assistants to Raphaël Arnault, Jacques-Elie Favrot and Adrien
Besseyre, were charged with intentional homicide and placed in pre-trial
detention.
Mélenchon, over the years, has made no secret of his desire for a radical
transformation of France. He supports the Islamization of the country and
advocates a "great replacement" of the native French population with a new
demographic from the Muslim world that would constitute what he calls the "new
France." He has forged ties with Islamists and "pro-Palestinian" movements. He
recruited Rima Hassan, a Syrian-born young woman of Palestinian and Kurdish
ancestry, who frequently appears by his side wearing a keffiyeh, the Palestinian
headscarf popularized by the late Palestinian terrorist leader, Yasser Arafat.
She supports the Iranian-backed Islamist terrorist organization Hamas —
describing its actions as "legitimate" and asserting its "right to armed
struggle". Hassan speaks at high schools and universities, where she advocates
hatred against Israel and Israeli Jews. The leaders of France Unbowed generally
do not hide that they share her views. France Unbowed is, in fact, the only
major French party whose leaders have refused to call Hamas a terrorist
organization.
With antisemitism widespread among young Muslims living in France's 751 "no-go
zones" — suburban enclaves where police no longer venture and where Muslim gangs
and radical imams hold sway — Mélenchon, like other representatives of his
party, now publicly makes antisemitic remarks.
Mélenchon has run for president three times, garnering around 20% of the vote on
each occasion — principally through securing an extremely high proportion of the
Muslim vote (69% in 2022). He plans to run again in the 2027 presidential
election. While he probably realizes he will not win, he nevertheless appears to
plan to use the campaign to mobilize his supporters. It is against this backdrop
that the recent riots should probably be viewed.
While the riots originated in high schools, they quickly became something
profoundly different. High school students seeking better educational conditions
have no reason to wave Palestinian flags or shout "Free Palestine", "We are
children of Gaza," or write "October 7. Day of Celebration" on walls.
Extremely visible in the recent riots was a deep, intense hatred of the
established order. Although two high school teachers were murdered in the recent
past — Samuel Paty was beheaded in 2020, and Dominique Bernard had his throat
slit in 2023 -- this was the first time in France that so many police officers,
teachers, firefighters and fire trucks were attacked during riots.
The rioters express support for not only the Palestinian cause but also for
Islamic terrorism. Many repeatedly chanted the name of Mohammed Merah — the
murderer of Jewish children and a rabbi at the Ozar Hatorah school in Toulouse
in 2012. In a church that was stormed in Soullans, a small village in Western
France, a group of young Muslims and leftists played a song by a rapper praising
both Mohammed Merah and Salah Abdeslam, who is the sole surviving terrorist from
the 2015 attack on the Bataclan concert hall and cafés in Paris.
Mélenchon, rather than disavowing the MPs from his party who incited violence,
instead merely stated that "combat discipline" was required.
Many leftist and Islamist movements, however, apparently saw an opportunity to
fan the flames.
France's President Emmanuel Macron has remained basically silent about the
riots. He did say that the police response was too "harsh and lacking empathy" –
sparking fury among many police officers.
"Macron is a coward," stated National Rally MP Matthieu Vallet, a former police
officer himself; "he's scared stiff." Vallet recalled that Macron had shown the
same attitude when riots broke out across France after the death of a young
criminal, Nahel Merzouk, and more recently, when Muslim gangs from the suburbs
swept into Paris, where they ransacked bank branches, restaurants, and shops
during the recent football World Cup.
The French government has basically appeared impotent and weak. Prime Minister
Sébastien Lecornu, carefully ignoring the insurrectionary and Islamic nature of
the riots, called for a moment of "democratic dialogue" in high schools. He did
not implicate France Unbowed, or even denounce the party.
The only leaders who pointed out that the events were primarily an Islamist and
leftist insurrection were those from Marine Le Pen's National Rally party and a
few other right-leaning politicians. MEP Marion Maréchal stated that an
"Islamist spirit of revenge" is at work. Revenge for what? For the French
welcoming Islamists into their country and showering the immigrants with
benefits?
The French mainstream media did not show all the footage of the riots, Instead,
they insisted on framing the unrest as a high school student movement, while
glossing over the Islamist and leftist dimensions of the events.
Polls show that a great number of French citizens realize that France is not
only economically and financially ruined but also teetering on the brink of
chaos, and that they are extremely anxious about the future of the country and
hope for a profound political change.
All polls continue to indicate that Le Pen has a strong chance of winning the
presidential election set to take place in France in six months.
Security experts warn that the recent riots are a wake-up call, foreshadowing
actions France Unbowed might take before or during the presidential election to
try to prevent Le Pen from winning, or should she win regardless, to stop her
from actually assuming the presidency.
In France today, there are effectively two populations. One, attached to law,
order and France's cultural identity, is watching helplessly as the country
plunges into a deepening catastrophe. The other population, that of the "no-go
zones" and Islamic neighborhoods, is participating in the riots and represents
the "new France" that Mélenchon is invoking.
The police, who stand for law and order, face a government and a president that
appear paralyzed by the unfolding events. The violent leftists and Muslims
participating in the riots and the leftists supporting them have become
increasingly emboldened. The gangs controlling the no-go zones — and now even
certain neighborhoods in Paris — have large quantities of weapons and appear to
be relying not so much on improved education as on drug trafficking.
Meanwhile, France's riots have begun spreading across Europe to Belgium, Greece,
Italy, Ireland and Austria. Behind France's riots, according to investigative
journalist Asra Nomani, are "Communists, unions and a global propaganda
network":
"From France to the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Greece and India,
adults with deep pockets are tapping France's school protests and turning a
domestic education dispute into a platform for broader political and ideological
confrontation....
"In a digital analysis of scores of news articles, social media posts and public
statements, Fox News Digital has identified 50 organizations in the French
student protest movement and its wider network of supporters and international
amplifiers, revealing an activist ecosystem extending far beyond the students
who launched the demonstrations.
"Of the network of 50 groups, 15 are student or youth groups, including several
communist youth movements and a Muslim student association.
"The remaining 35 adult groups include a dozen labor unions; eight communist or
socialist organizations; five groups spanning other issues from taxes to
parental advocacy, environmental activism, economic justice, international media
and diaspora organizing; five civil-rights or human-rights groups; four
political parties, including La France Insoumise, or France Unbowed, and the
French Communist Party; one Palestinian advocacy group that complete the
'red-green' alliance of leftists with Muslims....
"'What we're seeing here is the same Red-Green ecosystem that disrupts
infrastructure choke holds in our country such as the Brooklyn Bridge, college
campuses and congressional hearings,' Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the
Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital....
"'The communist Red and the Islamist Greens have nothing in common but a common
enemy, the Judeo-Christian, capitalist, free West, led by the U.S.,' Gonzalez
said. 'Their goal is to dismantle us.'"
*Dr. Guy Millière, a professor at the University of Paris, is the author of 27
books on France and Europe.
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
Yemenis Are the Houthis' Biggest Victims
Yousef Al-Dayni/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 13/2026
The targeting of Saudi airports and civilian facilities, with dead and wounded
among travelers as pilgrims and civilians passed through the terminals, does not
represent merely a new round in the escalation led by the terrorist Houthi
militia. It is another chapter in the madness of a renegade group that hijacked
Yemen, tormented Yemenis and subjected them to the worst of suffering, and then
carried its armed project beyond the borders, until civilian airports,
travelers, and economic facilities became part of its target bank.
The recent attacks on the Kingdom's airports confirm that exposing civilians to
danger is not a side effect or a reckless error in the militia's conduct, but a
turn toward a suicidal strategy in an attempt to apply pressure and impose a
political and security cost that can be negotiated over.
Describing this conduct as madness alone may obscure an understanding of its
political motives. The attack on Saudi airports is an event with consequences,
and it came in a different and complicated regional context, in which the
American-Iranian escalation has halted while Tehran treats the de-escalation as
a victory to be exploited against the region's states.
This is also what it is trying to market to the Houthi militia, the "arm" being
thrust into the furnace of destruction after Hezbollah was sidelined, and amid
the tug-of-war within Iraq's militias. It is from this angle, that of political
suicide, that we must understand the Houthis' conduct.
Saudi Arabia's history with Yemen is as clear as the sun at midday: it has
always placed Yemenis' interest first, in whatever serves them and serves their
country.
But this current Houthi persistence attempts to ignore a fundamental fact, which
is that the Kingdom is a pivotal and central state, capable of defending its
territory, its citizens, and its facilities, having accumulated over long years
an expertise in confronting missiles, drones, and cross-border threats.
The reality is that the Houthi militia's recklessness in Yemen cannot be reduced
to a question concerning the Kingdom's security. That is a mistaken view, into
which, unfortunately, those who approach the Yemeni case without understanding
its context fall- particularly some researchers, institutions, and even
political currents within the international community. The matter today goes
beyond the threat to the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, and beyond the safety of
aviation and navigation through the world's most important and most sensitive
arteries of trade and energy, whose disruption is paid for not by Riyadh alone
but by the world's markets and economies, and for a long time.Even so, the real
predicament is the militia's crimes against Yemen and Yemenis; that is something
intolerable. It is the Houthi militia that impoverished the Yemeni people and
displaced them. A great responsibility therefore falls on the legitimate
authorities and on fair-minded media seeking the truth, to redefine the Yemeni
tragedy before the international community.
Since the beginning of the crisis ten years ago, international approaches have
circulated that treat the Houthi militia as a political party for which a
formula must be found to integrate it into a political settlement. But this
simplistic description of a context as complex as Yemen's conceals the heart of
the Yemeni predicament: that the Houthis did not reach their position through
normal political competition, but by seizing the state and its institutions by
force of arms, and then turning this into a bitter reality lived by some 24.7
million Yemenis out of 34.9 million- roughly 71 percent of Yemen's population-
against some 10.2 million living in the areas under the legitimate Yemeni
government's control.
Raising the banner of the need to reach a sustainable peace in Yemen is
important, and it is also a Saudi objective, since Yemenis have no alternative
to a stable state and a peace with room for all components. But the predicament
is that raising the banner of peace turns into legitimizing the militia's crimes
against Yemenis and accepting it as a fait accompli. Yemenis are the Houthis'
greatest victims and the longest-suffering. This is the fact the world must
grasp.
Since the seizure of Sanaa roughly a decade ago, Yemenis have experienced every
kind of torment and suffering: detention, enforced disappearance, torture,
prisons, the recruitment of children, the laying of mines, the blowing up of
homes, the confiscation of property and companies, the imposition of levies and
extortion, the harassment of journalists, activists, political opponents, and
religious minorities, alongside the diversion of the state's resources and its
economy to serve the war.
Nor did the matter stop at the militia's control over people's livelihoods and
their lives. It extended to education, to changing curricula, to the summer
centers and an ideological mobilization of a politicized doctrinal character, so
that control over the new generations becomes part of the project of hijacking
Yemen and stripping away its identity. Today's crisis cannot be reduced to a
search for the best means of reintegrating the militia, nor to acquiescence in a
fait accompli created by force of arms. It lies in redefining the Yemeni tragedy
as it actually is, without falsification: Yemen has been hijacked, Yemenis are
paying a heavy price for the international community's failure to restore its
legitimacy, and the militia is trying to turn this stricken country, which is
approaching a humanitarian catastrophe without parallel, into a platform of
intimidation for imposing an outside will through repression at home and through
threatening neighboring states and the world's trade.The crisis did not begin
with the targeting of airports, or even with the disruption of Bab al-Mandab. It
was born the day the Yemeni state fell into the hands of the armed militia, and
it will not end until Yemen returns to Yemenis as a state not held hostage to
the logic of mines and the voice of the rifle.
Iraq and Saudi Arabia: Towards a Stable Regional Order
Ali Falih Al-Zaidi/Prime Minister of Iraq/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 13/2026
As I watched the various branches of our armed forces and security services on
Sovereignty Day, I reflected on the immense responsibility entrusted to us to
safeguard our people's security and stability. It was a moment that reflected
the progress of a nation working to strengthen its state institutions and
restore its role. It also reminded me that sovereignty is not merely an occasion
for celebration. It is a daily responsibility, reflected in how a state governs
its affairs, protects its people's interests, and manages its relations with its
neighbors, the wider region and the world.
In the modern understanding of the state, sovereignty entails more than
possessing traditional instruments of power. It also requires the ability to
build effective foreign relations. Iraq therefore needs an approach rooted in
agile diplomacy and economic resilience.
In this context, relations between Iraq and Saudi Arabia are of particular
strategic importance, given the political and economic significance of both
countries, their shared Arab ties, and their common geographical, economic and
security interests. The two countries have made tangible progress in rebuilding
trust and opening channels of cooperation, laying the groundwork for taking
bilateral relations to a new level.
Iraq's security and Saudi Arabia's stability cannot be viewed in isolation. Both
are integral to the broader security of the Gulf and the stability of the
region.
Realizing this vision requires agile diplomacy founded on mutual respect for
sovereignty and recognition of every state's right to make decisions in
accordance with its national interests. Iraq respects the sovereignty of other
states and expects its own sovereignty to be respected in return. Its
geographical position and diverse regional and international relationships also
place it in a position to serve as a bridge for dialogue and a meeting point for
regional powers, rather than an arena for rivalry and conflict or a base from
which neighboring countries might be threatened.
Iraq can play a mediating role by bringing regional powers together through
dialogue. This requires a balanced foreign policy that avoids alignment with
competing regional blocs and seeks to keep Iraq out of regional conflicts.
Regional crises have demonstrated the vulnerability of our economies to severe
disruptions in markets, trade flows and energy supplies. The closure of the
Strait of Hormuz has underscored the need to diversify trade routes and reduce
dependence on any single route or exposure to exceptional circumstances.
Iraq therefore needs a more resilient economy, built on diversifying sources of
income, expanding trade routes and access to markets, developing transport
networks and infrastructure, strengthening industry and agriculture, and
creating greater opportunities for private enterprise and investment. The
Development Road Project, alongside stronger trade and transport links with Gulf
states, offers an important opportunity to expand Iraq's economic role and
connect it more closely to regional and international markets.
Iraq's stability remains fundamental to the success of any partnership.
Investment requires a stable state, clear laws and institutions capable of
protecting rights and enforcing contracts. Combating corruption, simplifying
procedures and strengthening the rule of law are therefore more than domestic
reforms; they are essential prerequisites for attracting investment and
strengthening economic independence.
Guided by this vision, Iraq and Saudi Arabia can usher in a new phase of closer
relations built on partnership and joint planning. Stable relations between
Baghdad and Riyadh can become a cornerstone of broader stability and deeper
integration across the Gulf and the wider region.
The Landscape is Changing!
Mohammed Al-Rumaihi/An-Nahar/October 13, 2026 (AI translated from Arabic)
Personally, I view the unfolding events in the Middle East as having been
predictable. I reached this conclusion by tracking the trajectory—and the
cost—of Iranian expansionism, a subject I have written about repeatedly. A state
that squanders its resources on establishing armed groups in its neighborhood,
only to burden them with an agenda that far exceeds the capacity of their own
societies, is effectively paving the way for its own stumbling. Each temporary
success tempts decision-makers to take yet another step, until the distances
covered and the commitments undertaken surpass their ability to sustain them—yet
they press on regardless, right up until the eventual collapse. Tehran has
poured billions of dollars into Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. Across these
nations, it purchased weaponry and loyalties, established financing and
recruitment networks, and deeply infiltrated local institutions and economies.
Its decision-makers believed they were on the path to restoring the stature of
the Persian Empire. This project was intertwined with a religious interpretation
that granted the leadership a mandate transcending conventional boundaries and
shielding it from accountability. Ideological mobilization rhetoric frequently
invoked the concept of paving the way for the return of the "Hidden Imam."
Consequently, fallible political decisions acquired a veneer of religious
sanctity, and any objection to them was construed as hostility toward the
sacred. The cost of this mindset became starkly apparent in Syria; years of
expenditure and infiltration culminated in the collapse of the very ally upon
whom so much political and military capital had been staked. The recurring
justification was that the Syrian government had requested assistance—as if a
ruler’s consent granted him the right to mortgage his country, or gave an
outside actor carte blanche to dictate its future. In Hossein Amir-Abdollahian’s
book *Subh al-Sham* (Dawn of the Levant), the protection of shrines—specifically
the Shrine of Sayyida Zeinab—figures prominently in the narrative justifying
intervention. The reader is compelled to ask: how did a mission focused on
protecting a shrine expand to encompass the affairs of an entire state and the
destinies of its population?
The losses suffered in Syria impacted the supply route to Hezbollah, and the
group’s Secretary-General has acknowledged a scarcity of funding. Its core
leadership had already sustained severe blows during the 2024 war, and the
subsequent conflict brought further attrition. Understanding this sequence is
crucial to grasping the cumulative nature of these losses; the party’s ability
to replenish its weaponry and personnel diminished, while the burdens of
reconstruction and caring for families who had lost their homes and livelihoods
mounted. For the first time in a long while, the Lebanese state adopted an
explicit stance regarding the state’s monopoly on arms, banning the party’s
military activities. Although implementation faces significant obstacles—and the
party retains its weaponry, organizational structure, and base of supporters—the
question regarding the cost of its choices has become increasingly urgent. Those
displaced twice, having lost their homes or livelihoods, have every right to ask
who decided on the war and who will lead them out of this tragedy. These
questions are penetrating the party’s own support base, regardless of how hard
partisan rhetoric tries to contain them.
In Yemen, we see another facet of the problem. Houthi advances along the coast
emboldened the group to expand its control around the Bab al-Mandab Strait,
thereby increasing its capacity to threaten maritime navigation and neighboring
regions. Subsequently, the Yemeni government announced a campaign to retake
areas held by the group. Field reports, citing officials and witnesses, indicate
the recapture of positions near the strait, with the battle still ongoing. What
merits attention is the potential for disparate Yemeni forces to unite around
the goal of restoring the state—after years during which the Houthis capitalized
on their divisions. Meanwhile, in Iraq, the demand to restrict the possession of
arms to the state is gaining ground, though it faces resistance from factions
linked to Tehran. Declaring an intent to implement this measure is a politically
significant step; however, turning it into reality requires capability,
political will, and internal compromise. I believe the factions' insistence on
maintaining independent decision-making authority reveals the core of the
dispute: who decides on war and peace, and who holds the power to use force
accountable? Building a national state will inevitably curtail the scope of
influence operating outside its institutions. While the pace of transformation
varies across these arenas, they share a common thread: the escalating cost of
the Iranian project. Funds required to sustain influence are running dry, losses
are mounting, and societies that have endured years of war are demanding a
return to normalcy. Iran’s own people—who have borne a heavy share of the bill
for this expansion—have their own needs and aspirations. I believe that
overextension explains a significant part of the retreat we are witnessing. A
Levantine proverb observes, "Things only shrink after they have grown too big."
In the Gulf, we say, "When God wills the demise of an ant, He grants it wings."
Iran has more than just two wings! Such proverbs encapsulate the collective
wisdom regarding the corrupting nature of hubris born of power. The architect of
such a project often mistakes an expanding footprint for the soundness of their
calculations; they double down on risky ventures while underestimating the
growing opposition around them. Ultimately, after suffering losses, they find
themselves forced to defend positions where, only a short time earlier, they had
boasted of victory. What is troubling is that acknowledging this shift is
difficult for its architects. In a system that ties its legitimacy to a historic
mission and a sacred cause, self-examination can be construed as an indictment
of the leadership and its self-narrative. Consequently, the day of reckoning is
postponed, and every loss is dismissed as a mere, fleeting conspiracy. Resources
continue to be squandered in a futile attempt to restore a status quo whose
underlying conditions have fundamentally changed. Arab governments bear the
responsibility of seizing this opportunity. People need security, a functioning
judicial system, education, job opportunities, and guarantees that citizenship
applies equally to all. When the state succeeds in fulfilling these functions,
it strips armed groups of the very grounds they use for recruitment and
influence. Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen are home to societies exhausted by
war that require a partnership respecting their dignity. Any approach driven by
a spirit of vengeance fuels a cycle of hostility and offers external actors
another opportunity to return under different guises and slogans. The landscape
is shifting, and the region’s opportunity to build states capable of protecting
their citizens warrants serious effort. Iranian decision-makers must read the
situation clearly and weigh their country’s and people’s interests in fostering
normal relations with their neighbors.
The Muslim Brotherhood in Europe: Six Decades Before the
Masks Fell!
Dr. Mohammed Al-Wuhaib/Al-Qabas/October 13, 2026 (AI translated from Arabic)
After decades of presenting itself in Europe as a representative of Muslims and
a partner to governments in dialogue and integration, the Muslim Brotherhood
today faces the prospect of having some of its institutions and leaders placed
on European terrorism lists. I find this shift to be a paradox worth reflecting
upon; the group, which long benefited from the openness of European democracies,
is now facing scrutiny within those very democracies. For years, European
governments engaged with Islamic institutions and associations as part of civil
society, granting some of them official recognition and funding. However,
concerns began to mount that some of these institutions were not content with
merely religious and charitable work, but were instead seeking to build
political and ideological influence within European societies. In France
specifically, a 2025 government report revealed concerns regarding a strategy of
gradual infiltration into institutions and society linked to the Muslim
Brotherhood; this was followed by a parliamentary move in January 2026 calling
for the group to be considered for designation as a terrorist organization. Just
a few days ago, the European Parliament voted by a large majority in favor of a
resolution calling for a strategy to counter the influence of Muslim Brotherhood
networks. I believe the significance of this resolution lies not so much in the
voting figures, but rather in its substance and potential consequences. The
Parliament called upon the Council of the European Union to consider including
individuals and entities linked to the Brotherhood on the European list of
terrorist organizations. Although the decision does not constitute a formal
terrorist designation, it paves the way for legal measures that could ultimately
lead to one. It also calls for looking beyond declared organizational fronts,
extending the review to include the financial networks, institutions, and
platforms linked to the group. The most impactful aspect, in my view, is the
call for the European Commission to audit funds received by institutions linked
to the Muslim Brotherhood and to trace the ultimate beneficiaries. Money has
always been a key factor in building and expanding influence; restricting its
sources could undermine the sustainability of these networks. Added to this is
the call to reconsider granting political recognition and funding to these
institutions—particularly given concerns that their ideological agenda conflicts
with the principles of democracy and equality before the law. Should these
recommendations evolve into binding decisions, we could see asset freezes and
funding bans, alongside other legal actions against the individuals and entities
listed.
What strikes me most about all this, however, is the shift in the European line
of questioning. The question used to be: "How do we engage with the Muslim
Brotherhood as part of the Islamic landscape?" Today, it has become: "Were the
institutions Europe embraced simultaneously working to propagate a political
agenda that contradicts European values?"
Personally, I wonder: why did it take Europeans sixty years to reach this
conclusion? Would it not have sufficed to listen to the experiences of ordinary
people across the Islamic world—those who knew the group intimately and
witnessed firsthand its opportunism, the shifting nature of its rhetoric, and
the contradictions in its positions? Perhaps what troubles me most about the
Muslim Brotherhood’s experience is not merely the instrumentalization of
religion in politics—a phenomenon witnessed in many societies throughout
history. What truly disturbs me is their attempt to convince people that their
political project is Islam itself, and that opposing them equates to opposing
the religion. Herein, in my view, lies the grave disservice the group has done
to Islam: reducing a magnificent faith that embraces millions of people to a
narrow partisan agenda, turning faith into a tool for power struggles, and
transforming political disagreement into a dispute over religion itself. I
sincerely hope that Europe, as it re-evaluates its relationship with the
Brotherhood, comes to realize a simple truth known to many of us: that Muslims
are not the Muslim Brotherhood, and that Islam is far greater than a single
group claiming to represent it.
Russian Mediation: Renewed Discussion
Dr. Ahmed Youssef Ahmed/Al-Ittihad/October 13, 2026 (AI translated from Arabic)
On May 26, I wrote an article for this page titled "What’s New in the Russian
Role," in which I discussed the circulating speculation regarding a potential
Russian mediation in the US-Iran crisis—a role for which Russia is
well-positioned given its ties to all parties involved. Needless to say, that
prospect yielded no results, as evidenced by the crisis's persistence and the
volatile fluctuations that accompanied it. Last Saturday, the Kremlin spokesman
announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had conveyed the Iranian side's
vision and stance to US President Donald Trump regarding the possibility of
reaching a settlement or agreement to end the ongoing conflict and war; this
initiative was undertaken in direct coordination with Iranian President Masoud
Pezeshkian. Notably, this statement followed a phone call between Putin and
Trump the previous Friday—lasting approximately an hour and a half—which Moscow
described as extensive and cordial. Reports indicated that during the call,
Putin reaffirmed his standing offer to accept Iran’s highly enriched uranium—a
core concept from the earlier mediation discussions—and that Trump showed
interest in this point, welcoming the Russian role without, however, disclosing
specific details of the Russian proposal or a definitive response from
Washington. There is reason to believe that this Russian initiative stands a
better chance of success this time due to changed circumstances, though its
ultimate outcome remains uncertain given the crisis's extreme complexity. The
following analysis focuses on two specific aspects of this shift. The first
concerns the timing of this new Russian initiative, which coincides with
US-Iranian contacts; while it is impossible to determine with certainty whether
these involve direct elements or are entirely indirect, it is clearly a serious
process. Despite repeated threats regarding the potential resumption of military
operations, the US side has not closed the door to negotiation; indeed,
statements by Trump and his aides have frequently indicated that reaching an
agreement is the preferred option, provided that agreement meets US demands. As
for Iran, there are signs of greater flexibility in its stance; on September 22,
the Revolutionary Guard spokesman stated, "If our national interest dictates
that we conduct negotiations alongside the war, then we must negotiate." On
October 9, the Iranian president reaffirmed Iran's commitment to the path of
indirect negotiations with the US, stating that the country would not withdraw
from talks even if attacked again by the US. He also noted that his country is
currently reviewing and considering proposals exchanged with the US side through
intermediaries. All these indicators point to the seriousness of the negotiating
option, regardless of the final outcome. The second aspect regarding the shift
in circumstances—which suggests a greater likelihood of the initiative’s
success—is the breakthrough in Russian-American relations marked by the diesel
deal. This agreement entails supplying the US and global markets with millions
of tons of Russian diesel to help lower fuel prices. Such a move eases the
pressure on Trump and places Russia in a stronger position to see him respond
favorably to its ideas regarding a settlement for the conflict with Iran. It
also helps Russia avoid embarrassment vis-à-vis Iran, as the move disrupts
Tehran’s strategy of pressuring Trump by keeping energy prices at the highest
possible level. Will the Russian initiative fare better this time?
*Professor of Political Science, Cairo University
Selected Face Book & X tweets
on October
13/2026
Christopher Hale
Ahead of his hospitalization for lung surgery, Pope Leo XIV has asked Cardinal
Luis Antonio Tagle to celebrate Wednesday’s Mass marking the tenth anniversary
of Pope Francis’s Amoris Laetitia. Leo recently confirmed Tagle’s election as
dean of the College of Cardinals.
The Filipino cardinal, often called the “Asian Pope Francis” in the press, has
long been seen as a leading heir to Francis’s pastoral vision.
Pape Léon XIV
Dear friends, recently, on the occasion of certain medical examinations, the
doctors found a well-defined nodule in the lung. It was detected at a very early
stage and is well localized. The doctors believe it is appropriate to intervene,
and following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it. This
procedure is already scheduled for the coming days. I thank you for your
spiritual support, and I entrust myself to your prayers.
Alejandro Bermudez
Pope Leo XIV is undergoing surgery on Tuesday Oct. 13 and the Vatican has
announced that all audiences are cancelled until Tuesday, October 20 to
facilitate his recovery. Let's make tomorrow a special day of prayer for the
Holy Father!
Fr. Paddy
Loving God,
Be close to Pope Leo in this time of illness and uncertainty. Give him courage
and peace, guide those caring for him, and strengthen all who are worried for
his health.
Pope Leo XIV
Prayer becomes effective when it reaches out to others. The charity born of the
Holy Spirit is God’s love poured into our hearts: a love that takes shape in a
commitment to life and service. This love must become the goal, the way, and the
meaning of our lives.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
72 hours later, Lebanese PM Salam raised his voice against Hezbollah, promising
a full, public, transparent investigation into the militia’s explosives
transported by militiamen inside the country.
Salam says the right things. His power to enforce them, however, is minimal. The
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have gone rogue, openly take Hezbollah’s side, at
least since March 5.